RWBY- A Monster that is Man
by LordWinter13
Summary: Anu Priest, once Anubis, once 'Demon of Atlas', has begun his new life at Beacon Academy. A strange and often quarky individual, Anu must acclimate to the foreign cultures of the Four Kingdoms, protect the people he found he cares for, and try, as ever, to find his place in this new world. AU, more of a dark-fantasy theme to the established story plus own story created. Only to S2
1. Greetings, Beatings and Mints

**Hello readers! I hope you enjoy this fanfic. Its' an OC one, but I'm striving to not make the main one and the other OCs too Parry Sue (male version of a Merry Sue, not sure if correct x) ) or over powered, but will have some very unique strengths and weaknesses among the other characters. Also, I'm expanding the cultures of the humanoids as well as the Grimm in the world of Remnant, and isn't limited to the Kingdoms. Such as languages, which are vastly different, and everyone is taught the Trade-language, Remnatian.**

**There's gunna be blood n' guts. And cursing. Though I'll try to keep the cussing limited to people who would use it, I wouldn't expect people like Weiss to use it and someone like Ruby would have trouble saying it. Will be darker, but will try to keep the initial innocence (and kick ass fights btw) as close to core as possible. This story will also have vast cultures, histories (some of which won't make sense or contradict) and will make the world living, breathing and growing.**

**There will be lots of OCs. The main one in question, I was inspired by characters from multiple genres and hope to make him a good addition to the already diverse and likable characters. The closest I can say he is like is the character Zhaan from Farscape, though most definitely isn't a copy n' paste.**

**I desire, nay, need constructive criticism. Any comments and reviews would be appreciated, but I ask those who would share their ideas and opinions, keep it in a gentlemanly. But not **_**too**_** gentlemanly. I can handle it if it's a bit rough. (That's what she said)**

**Also. I do not have any rights to Roosterteeth or RWBY save my own characters and stories that are inspired therein. This is done for entertainment purposes and not for profit of any form.**

**I also don't have the rights to Farscape… which is a shame, cause I want that show back**

**In memory to Monty Oum. I hope his next life or time in the afterlife of his choosing will be a happy one.**

**(This is a rewrite of this fic's first chapter, lemme know if its better or worse.)**

-][-

'That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.'

\- **Friedrich Nietzsche**

[][][][

Chapter 1- Anu Priest

"The world has enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace..." The hologram of Goodwitch continued her monologue.

In the midst of the fleet of airship's descent to Beacon academy, Jaune Arc was desperately trying to withhold his lunch. "Uhhg..." He groaned, covering his mouth, looking away from the windows. Which was very difficult because the passenger area was surrounded by viewing ports.

"Ihtah?" Jaune heard someone say to his left, unable to rotate initially due to him being bent over, clutching his stomach and a hand over his mouth. "Are you well?" The man continued to ask to his side.

Jaune grogalled and rolled his eyes, 'Obviously.' After a moment of concentration, Jaune managed to peak at his flank to look at the moron, but it was only a momentary glance and the only thing he noticed was a pair of piercingly red eyes, not the normal, tamed red that pops up every so often, RED red. The observation was only momentary due to the airship moving slightly, sending a fresh gurgle up to Jaune's mouth for him to struggle to swallow.

"Oh dear..." Jaune heard 'red eye' state, followed by him patting down his clothing,

"Ah, where is it? I know i yet have one more... ah!" He chimed in victory.

Jaune was in his standing fetal position as a small, brown paper wrapped confection was presented in front of his face. "These work wonders! Give this freely, I will, but don't swallow or chew it."

'Must be some kind of stomachy... cough drop?' That's what it sounded like to him. Feeling a fresh, pained wrenching of his abdominal area, he snatched the item out of the man's grasp, ripping the wrapper off and shoving it into his mouth. What met his sense of a taste was a mix between a rough taffy and a diluted, spicy mint. After several seconds of sucking on it, the confection released its initial minty taste, becoming more savory and meaty, colder in his mouth even as his own mouth heated it and saliva moistened it into a soft clay.

Jaune's sickly symptoms declined only gradually, but enough that he could force a smile and look at the guy who wanted to help. He had to admit one thing; the guy wasn't ugly.

As soon as he was done staring, again, at the pair of red eyes, the next more prominent feature was his light brown, almost mocha complexion, forcing him to think he was from somewhere like Vacuo or Mystral. This coincided with the angular features of high cheek bones, prominent jaw and a nose with a notable bridge.

However, to contradict his assumption, he was clothed in a...? Robe? Coat? It defied casual definition, forcing Jaune to knit his brows together tightly. His family was mildly familiar with different cultures across Remnant, he must have seen where his is from somewhere. What was truly finicky to Jaune about his appearance was that if one tried to tie down whether he looked pretty or handsome, they'd have a hell of a time doing it. The guy could be called a beautiful man or a handsome women if his sex was not easily visible by his lack of bust or hips and core being more like his own.

The piece of attire itself was something that covered the vast majority of his body, in a loose, thick looking fabric of mostly greys and occasionally purely black, with a prominent collar that encircled his head and rose up to the tip of his chin, nearly covering his mouth from Jaune's perspective, if it was not open in the center. Of this, on the shoulders and shoulder bones were sets of metal plating, tied to the 'coat', made from some kind of hammered bronze like material. At the very beginning of his arms, made in bright orange, alien script as unrecognized as the clothing it was sown into. Running the length of both appendages, ending at the wide, roomy, bell like cuffs. As Jaune observed further, he noticed that certain colors were faded throughout the coat's chest and abdomen, most notably diluted reds and oranges, worn pitch by a mix of wearing and age.

Though it was difficult to look at the chest, as he had opened this area and the shirt beneath, revealing the cleaving edges of central muscles and hinting at others running further down in a 'V' like shape.

What struck him last was his hair: it was straight, framing his face with bangs while the middle was tied back into a pony tail of unknown length. It was both dark and light, being as deep as tar in its opaqueness, but as it grew further in length steadily greyed until maybe up to several centimeters, it was bone white.

"Uhm, are you well now? Why are you so still?" The man asked, feeling his attention had grown a bit too engulfing.

"Sorry man!" Jaune sputtered, "Didn't mean to stare." Pointing at his mouth, "Mint ain't working so good."

The man hummed lowly in thought, curling a bang with a finger. "I am willing to do something else. However, am uncertain how you will react to it."

A fresh, milk curdling gurgle in his gut forced him to a conclusion, "I'll do anything short of selling my soul!"

With that, he walked in front of Jaune fully, placing a hand on a shoulder to stand him up further. "Look into my eyes."

Jaune couldn't do it longer then a second, other than the mildly uncomfortable act of looking into another dude's eyes for longer than a few seconds, he got just a bit creeped out by them.

He smiled warmly, "Please, relax. This shan't last a moment." As Jaune forced himself to do so, there was a... numbness that began to seep across his body that steadily increased to a point of almost complete catatonia. Anu took a deep breath before speaking: "Recall a moment of ease. Calm. Breathe its air. Feels irs heat and cold. Its lights and shades around you."

[[[[[]

"Do you think he's okay?" Ruby asked Yang as they walked off the airship's departure ramp, gesturing back at a blonde guy, eyes closed, smiling dully, limply hanging his arms and standing, a long line of drool hanging from his mouth.

Yang rolled her eyes, "He can be whatever he wants, a big gob of whatever coming out of his mouth got on my shoe." Walking further out. "Must really like that airship or something, leave him be."

As they started climbing up the stair, when they heard a women yell out lividly, "Ahi-mo!" Before hearing the impact of a heavy blow landing with a grunt.

The two sisters quickly paced over to a growing crowd, where Ruby asked, "What did that mean? Sounded like Atlasian."

Yang FULLY knew its context, but she smiled humorously, "I'll tell ya when you're older, don't repeat it."

Ruby scoffed, puffing a cheek out and glaring slightly in sign of her acute annoyance.

When they got to the small circle of people that formed around the debacle, they saw at its center one woman, a Faunus, if it was clearly seen from the tall, dog ears and tail. She was equipped with what looked like a steel exoskeleton, with pieces of silver-steel knight armor placed over several areas such as chest and shoulder, the veins of glowing blue Dust visible in between cracks and over the arms, a massive sniper-cannon, being almost five feet, was about as tall as its wielder.

She was shaking her fist at a man, maybe just under Yang's own height, pulling to it fully as he recovered from a bent over position. Immediately, the older blonde thought 'Why the hell did she hit someone so cute?!'

As the man stood up, he looked confused by the attack and asked pained "Ihtah?", to which the Faunus replied by pointing at Drool Boy back in the airship.

He chuckled then smiled awkwardly, "Apologies?"

The small crowed blinked. Once. Twice. Then began the bombardment of questions.

Of those allayed to the pair were:

"Where you from?"

"Why the hell you apologizin'?"

"Where'd ya get the clothes?"

"Who's he/she? Your boy/girlfriend?"

That last one set off the woman where she bellowed at the crowd, "Shut the hell up! All of you!"

The shriek of an order did more so, forcing those gathered to step away several paces, giving Ruby and Yang a more adequate view of the smaller, more volatile companion.

She would've been pretty if the scowl was not so deep pressed into her features. She had jade green eyes, pale skin, with a delicate, small nose, a 'snaggletooth' pointing out of her top lip paired with short ovoid eyebrows, and a very short hair cut that barely reached past her ears. What was clearer was she had even more equipment then the heavy artillery on her back, with a Victory-Pattern sub machine gun on a calf (built for shorter ranges) and a TechEd out serrated knife on the opposite, a small power pack where the metal meets the grip. Her green eyes hunted for further opposition amongst those that had gathered, violent and prepared to strike.

The man placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling as he stated, "I believe you scared them."

Her reply was throwing the hand off her shoulder and twisting on her heel, swinging her right fist into his face.

This made Yang jump between the two, "Whoa! Easy! No ones punching anyone!" She then leered down at the Faunus, threateningly, "'Cept me! Got it?"

The Faunus folded her arms and scoffed.

"Now..." Yang dropped her arms, pointing at the pair, "Who're you guys? What's up with him?" Pointing a thumb at Drooler.

"Stinein* over here hypnotized him." The woman practically hissed, gesturing at the man.

Yang eyes him up and down 'analytically', though the receiver of her attention felt her gaze would put the word to shame. He nervously looked away from her lavender eyes, 'Why do i suddenly feel like a fattened pig at a market near supper?'

Yang smiled back at the woman. "I mean, c'mon, we know he's beautiful but i doubt-"

"Idiot." She cut her off, "He does it witg his eyes."

Yang scratched her head, slightly confused, scoffing in jest, "Which is attached to his face right?"

She groaned in frustration, palm slamming into her face.

The man steadily approached the blonde bombshell, smiling warmly. "What my companion here is attempting to describe is true. Hypnotism is among my abilities."

"One of the tamer..." His Faunus partner began muttering undwe her breath.

Yang smirked devilishly, placing a hand on his chest, which made him blush and look away. "So ya two got a name, beautiful?"

Anu coughed into a fist, continuing to avoid eye contact, "I-I am Anu Icursi Priest Cadennes. Anu Priest. Or just Anu." He then gestured to the Faunus, "And she is-"

"I can introduce myself Priest." She seethed at him. She actually clicked her heels together as she stood rigidly at attention. "Rhaine Hodmada of the Atlasian High Guard. Current Assignment:..." She pointed at Anu, "Kill this motherless dog if he steps out of line."

Noting that the crowd had dispersed, Anu had a sigh of relief, relishing how he was no longer choked by the numbers that were near, looking to his new acquaintance, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss...?" Presenting his hand outward in a hand shake.

Yang rose an eyebrow but still smiling in debauching focus of the man before him, almost ignoring Rhaine entirely, taking his hand hard enough that it forced a small, shocked sound out of the man. "Yang Xiao Long. And this is R-" she looked back, noting her sister was gone. "D... did she just ditch me?" She then shrugged, "Well, guess sis must be still crowd-shy. I'm sure you'll..." Turning back around, speaking to another empty space.

Blinking in surprise, a paranoid thought leaked into her mind. 'What if people are disappearing when I look away?'

But the idea was dashed when she heard Rhaine ask aloud, "Where'd that fucker go?"

Yang sighed disappointedly, "It's never the people like you that disappear."

[][]]\\]]]

Anu finally gave a breath of relief, having successfully escaped the enclosing environment of people. He placed his hands inside his opposing sleeves as he walked on, studying the environment of what is to be his home for several years. He liked the green. Was not so sure about the vast numbers of heavily armed people.

In the midst of his musing, he quickly turned his head back around, started by a row of crashes nearby.

It was difficult to discern what took place, other than that one woman, donned in red, ...

It felt like something poked in his brain and he lost concentration as he studied her features.

... silver eyes and pale skin.

The other, white clad and nearly as translucent as the other. What worried him most about this one in particular was the vial she was swinging.

As soon as a bit of its contents managed to leak out and he picked up the rough scent of a barren, mineral essence mixed with the smell of burning wood. The concern of the growing cloud of Dust exploded when he spotted the one in red was huffing in preparation for a sneeze.

His eyes widened and he quickly dashed towards the two, but lost his footing as he meekly yelled out, "Ihtah?" Tumbling forwards before skidding under the crimson woman and throwing forward a hand in a gentle though firm grasp of her nose as her head railed back in the final throes of nasal relief.

[][][[[

Ruby squinted curiously downwards, looking down at the red eyes hypnotist from the airship.

He smiled and rubbed the top of his head with an opposing hand, "Hello, apologies for my... imha... surprising action, but the expulsion you would have committed would have had quite an explosive result."

Ruby continued to stare down, a mix between piecing together what he just said into a language she could understand and... Well, she liked looking at him... he was different. In a good way. "Emmm sarry, wat?" She spoke through plugged nose.

"If you sniff, you shall go bo-..." He momentarily looked dazed before he started to hic in the first stages of sneezing.

Ruby didn't quite understand what was happening, but did recognize patterns, 'He stopped me from sneezing.' So she quickly scooped down, fingers still around her own nostrils and plugged his own.

He sighed content fully, smiling at her, "Grate tanks." He said, voice hindered by plugged airways. He released her nose before she released his, "I'd prefer not exploding today."

Ruby's eyes widened marginally, "This stuff explodes?!"

Weiss has been watching the debacle and she placed a hand on her head, closing her eyes, 'Idiots.' She thought, 'I am surrounded by idiots.'

The man quickly stood up bowed his head to Ruby and Weiss in turn. "Good day to you both." He then looked to the shortest of them and gave a look of thought, "You were accompanying the lady in yellow, Yang Xiao Long?"

She nodded and smiled at him, "Yep, I'm Ruby rose! You're Anu right?"

"Indeed. Or Priest or what have you." Turning to the white maiden, "As she has said, I am Anu. Who are you?" Presenting his hand out in desire to shake hers.

She quickly looked between the hand and him, taking the former and shaking it sternly, almost painfully as Anu's eyes bulged slightly. "I am Weiss Schnee."

He quickly retracted his hand and nodded to her, "A pleasure to meet you." Hiding the surprised pain of their physical greeting.

Anu looked over to Ruby and tilted his head, "Are you and Yang friends? From a prior institution of learning?" He gestured to the holstered Crescent Rose with a hand.

"Oh no actually. She's my older sister." Ruby smiled from ear to ear.

Anu blinked, "Huh, I would not have guessed the relation."

"Half-sister. Different moms." She corrected him and it answered several questions of his.

"Uhhh hello? Don't either of you recognize me?" Weiss demanded.

Ruby and Anu looked to her before looking at each other. The former shrugged, the latter scratched the top of his head uncertainly. "Nope, sorry." "I do not, why?" They both said in part.

As soon as Weiss opened her mouth to enlighten then to the magnificence they were ignorant of, a small woman ran behind Anu and slammed her fist into the back of his head, knocking him into a still plank before falling over face first.

"Ihhhtahhh...?" He questioned meekly as he fell over.

Rhaine stood beside the prone body, "Found you." She said, smiling and blowing imaginary smoke from her fist.

Ruby quickly shrieked, "Why did you do that?! Is he dead?!" Before she saw his head lift from the stone floor and chuckle awkwardly at both her and his forceful companion. "Ahhhahaha, Rhaine."

She quirked an eyebrow up as she responded back to his greeting with, "Idiot." Looking to the woman in white. "The hell are you?" Noting her odd air of arrogance.

"I am Weiss Schnee!" She declared with increasing annoyance.

She looked skeptically at her, "The Schnee princess?"

Weiss began shaking the vial towards the newcomer, "I am not a princess, you Faunus dog!"

Before she could retort in her usual (highly violent) manner, the small cloud that managed to form pricked her heightened sense of smell quickly, and began to huff, and puff and bl-!

Anu and Ruby both grabbed her nose. While the build was gone, her reaction was nonetheless explosive as she shoved Ruby away with one hand and threw her foot in between Anu's legs. Ruby tumbled towards Weiss, who in turn, tumbled back into her luggage and threw her Dust vial several meters away.

Anu made a sound between a whimper and a gag and fell to his knees cupping his manhood. Anu struggled to think as he fought to at least sit up, a definite gag running through him as he tried to compartmentalize the pain.

As he did so and the women regathered their bearings, barking and yelling at one another (the pain, oh by the gods, the pain) he spotted another person approaching, having a vial in hand. Anu managed to focus enough to hear the conversation between the newcomer and those present with, "-questionable business practices." Before Weiss took the vial from her hand and stomped away with her cargo. She looked to the red, white and steel one before her gaze landed on him. He sickly raised a hand, "H-Hello?"

But quickly looked away and strutted from his confined cone of vision.

He also thought himself going mad, as he heard a pitiful yell, almost a cry grow increasingly louder as the pain continued.

"Its drool-boy! He's gone nuts!" Anu couldn't identify who said that, as he looked up.

Before he knew it, that pitiful war cry was right behind him, swinging his sword in a surprisingly straight and powerful vertical strike, where it hit Anu where his neck meets his shoulder, causing an audible gush as steel cut flesh and impacted bone.

Jaune gasped mentally, 'W-W-What?! Where's his Aura? Even ones who don't have them on wouldn't get that kinda hurt!'

Anu was instantly rending his ancestral blade from Jaune's grasp, standing up, turned around glaring a barely held bloodlust at the boy's eyes. Jaune froze for that one second as he felt like Anu stared into his very soul, unwilling to think what he may do to him in kind.

He didn't expect him to smile then place a hand on his shoulder, "My friend, i beg you to handle a weapon with more care. They can be dangerous in unskilled hands." Pointing the pummel to him in return, wiping his surprisingly bright blood off the edge with his sleeve.

"Messiah's ass! What the he- oh it's you." Rhaine was instantly livid before recognizing him. "Eh. Paybacks a bitch." She chuckled.

Anu gave her a sour look, before Jaune hesitantly took the sword. He couldn't take his eyes off of the growing stain of wetness against the black before it finally started turning red when it met grey. He looked away and quickly muttered, "I-I-I'm REALLY sorry."

Anu backed away and smiled, "For what?"

"F-For almost ki-" Jaune stopped as Anu peeled away the jacket area that hid his injury, wiping away some of the blood with his other hand and revealed no injury that had just been inflicted.

"I am compelled to inquire; why did you strike me?" Anu asked, face devoid of its warmness.

"You hypnotized me! Made me look like a moron! A-And I thought if I, uh, well started attacking you when you weren't expecting I'd get some face back?"

Anu quirked his head to the side, "Ihtah? Face? I inflicted no injury."

"Ya know? Face?" Jaune tried to inform.

Anu shook his head.

"Mojo." Rhaine attempted to enlighten, before she started her stride into the acedemy.

"Street cred?" Ruby did the same.

"Public honor?" Anu questioned. He then shrugged, "I would have apologized if asked. I did not think it an issue to let rest in peace." He then smiled, "So, for your victory today in striking down the horrible person that denied you public favor: I am sorry." Anu bowed at the waist towards Jaune.

That made Jaune feel even worse. "I am really, really, REALLY sorry!"

To Anu's side, he saw Ruby walk up, fists on hips, "That doesn't excuse you for almost killing someone just 'cause you're embarraed."

He was heart warmed slightly having her rise to his defense, as pointless as it was, placing a hand om her shoulder. "It is no issue. I've had far worse in my time." Smiling at her.

She quickly averted eye contact, feeling a weird fuzziness when she did.

They then heard Rhaine, "Hey jackass! Get your genocidal ass up here! We have an appointment!"

Anu grimaced, "Far worse." He muttered to mostly himself. Looking at Jaune, "My friend, what can I call you?"

He stiffened his stance, standing straight. "Call me Jaune. A-Arc. Jaune Arc."

"Jaune Arc, may you please accompany young Ruby Rose here? It would do me a King's favor if I knew she were in good company." He beamed towards him.

'That smile is so photogenic its almost creepy.' Jaune quickly nodded, fearing disapproval from this creature if he said no or was not fast enough. "Yes! Absolutely."

"Splendid! 'Til we meet again!" Anu rose a hand towards the two as he walked to his companion.

Rhaine huffed as he caught up, "Surprising you're mingling so well. Thought you hated humans."

"You're mixing me up with someone else." Anu corrected plainly.

[][[[[[]

*An anagram of Einstein. Like to think that alternate realities have similar people of similar means, though of different names and dispositions spreading out towards infinity. Maybe his full name would be Balter Stinein.


	2. Clocktower

**Hello readers! These first few chapters will mostly introduce the characters, very little action in that regard. I know this will be smaller than my first chapter, but what can I say? I have a pacing issue XD**

**Also, I'm mentally negotiating who the main romance would be for Anu. I could see how they would all work, truth be told. At the moment, I'm leaning more towards Ruby. I will take recommendations and so on for this plot point later, when Anu's history and personality is more realized.**

**Speaking of; I increased the general age of all the characters by 'round two years. So. Ruby is seventeen, instead of **_**fifteen**_**. This is mostly due to my own confusion why these characters train from late childhood to be Hunters, I would have thought that their training would have begun around later adolescence, when they're more mature and capable.**

**Anyways! Moving on! To the real reading bit!**

**I still don't own RWBY. Which probably isn't the worst fact of reality X)**

**REVIEWS SEMORE! I NEED REVIEWS SEMORE! (Also don't own that movie/play either haha)**

][

Professor Ozpin sipped from his cup, overlooking the flood of perspective new hunters. The clock tower was noisy for an office. Any one of the guests that he occasionally invites would complain of the grating beat of the clock. The permanent resident of said office couldn't be calmer from the steady rhythm. The beat was interrupted by three loud knocks.

He regained his composure, dropping the smile for the moment. "Come!" He declared.

The doors opened, with two figures stepping out of the aperture and into plain view in front of his desk.

They said nothing as Ozpin continued to stare out. "How are your impressions so far of Beacon?" Sipping from the mug.

The woman spoke first, "It seems nice. Very green. Not cold enough for comfort however, if I had to complain about something."

Ozpin chuckled, turning. "We don't have the intense cold of the mainland of Atlas. Don't worry though, you'll get used to it."

The pair stood side by side, Rhaine standing at ease with her hands clasped behind her back. Priest however, seemed comfortable with arms at his sides, "And you?"

Anu smiled, "I must also agree with the green. It is a nice change up from some snowy places in Atlas or the sands of the homeland."

Ozpin nodded, "How're the people? Anyone seem... rude towards you in particular?" Denoting Rhaine.

She stood a little more rigidly before, "No, sir. Believe, if they brought the issue up in a way I didn't like, they would be complaining about the discrimination of my foot on the sides of their heads."

Ozpin coughed into a fist, "Well... let's hope it doesn't come to that." He stood in front of Rhaine, "Please, attend the introductory ceremony. It will start soon."

Rhaine closed her mouth, about to object from leaving... HIM alone with the man who practically leads the Hunters, but bit it back. Saluting by pressing a fist to her chest, "Yes sir!" Then face-heel turning and walking out of the office.

Ozpin made sure she was several paces away after the door closed before he continued.

He faced Anu, just over a meter of distance between them. "You do understand why you are here?"

Anu nodded, "To train my body and mind to fight those that would disrupt the peace of this world."

"This will require you to kill Grimm, this won't limit you?" Ozpin tapped the bottom of his cane twice against the floor.

"It will not." He said back instantly.

Nodding again. Calculating what to say, what has been spoken. "You also understand that this isn't the limit of what you might possibly face?"

Anu blinked, his more or less grinning and charming demeanor was replaced by a harsh, annoyed scowl. "I fight for the peace, to protect those that I can and hold dear."

Ozpin sighed. Slightly satisfied. "If you require anything... unique to yourself, ask for me and I will acquire it any way I can."

The scowl wasn't the least bit moved, "That will not be necessary."

Ozpin shrugged, "Good, I guess. Less work me." He gave a smirk.

Seemed to work on Anu, the scowl softening to a more or less passive face. "Is there anything else, Professor?"

"Not at the moment officially. However, I request a boon." Ozpin adjusted his glasses slightly.

He blinked in surprise. "Oh? What is it?"

"Have you met a couple of girls by the names of Yang and Ruby?"

'Yes, and I still feel violated from the bigger one's gaze.' He cut the thought, "I have. They are nice sisters. Especially the smaller one."

"It would do me a world of good if you could make sure they are well. Especially for the trials of tomorrow." Ozpin placed a hand on Anu's arm briefly before retrieving it.

Anu sighed, "If they are not fit to be fighters, they shouldn't even be-"

"Ohhh no." He lifted a hand, laughing. "They can definitely fight. I'm merely concerned for them. Their uncle is a close friend of mine, and I see them as a part of my family."

Anu smiled, "It will not be an issue, Professor. And it isn't a favor to ask for something I would do freely."

Ozpin smiled back, "Thank you." He pointed his cane at a nearby cabinet. "I believe that's yours?"

Anu walked over and sighed. A phantom of a smile moving over his face. "I was curious when she would be returned to me." Picking up the sheathed blade, still attached to the leather shoulder holder.

Ozpin asked curiously, "She? How can you tell its female?"

Anu wondered that as well. Placing a finger on his chin, turning. "I don't know. I think it'd be rude to ask. I presume the rest if my gear has been delivered normally?"

Ozpin smirked, "Of course. And I can't tell if you're serious or not."

He bowed, smiling in good humor. "And that's why I do it."

"If I may say so..." Ozpins smile faded but was still visible, "I didn't expect you as you are now."

Anu shrugged, pulling the leather strap lazily over a shoulder. "Good I suppose. What were you expecting?"

Ozpins grin disappeared entirely. "The Demon of Atlas."

Anu stopped altogether for a moment. 'Well. At least he doesn't hide his thoughts.' He continued, turning around. His face more passive, "No such thing as demons."

Ozpin tilted his head slightly, "Perhaps."

Anu breathed in deeply, letting out a massive sigh, "Is there anything you would wish of me for the moment?" Face neither as angry nor happy as it has been moment before.

"No."

"Thank you, Professor." Anu Priest bowed at the shoulder, before leaving the office.

Ozpin sipped at his glass. 'Damn. Need a refill.'


	3. Copper meets Steel

Oh and to explain how i plan this:

The first 'season' will consist of the episodes of RWBY, plus whatever I manage to make alongside said stories (as it takes place over multiple months). This will be the first section, A man that is a Monster. The second part will consist of what i make entirely from scratch with the storyline of what I'll call 'The Grimm Lords', followed by 'End of Times'.

As far as romance is concerned, it will both be slow and kinda unspecific. No harem. I repeat. NO MULTIPLE PARTNERS. There might be a love triangle and crushes or something along the line however. Im not exactly sure who with, to be honest, and would like any opinions or ideas with it. You might want to hold out of those until Anu's character is for the most part revealed tho :) just sayin' ;)

To BANKAIZEN: Your word overwhelms me haha x)

][

"I won't go back to that office and find a body, will I?" Rhaine humorlessly asked as Anu strode out of the stairwell.

"No." Said 'Priest' appeared to be in no further mood for engrossed conversation with his overzealous compatriot, walking past where she stood.

The Faunus blinked. "Hey! Don't turn your back on me!"

Anu stood still, back still facing her. "I am in no form of being for more of your threatening banter, Rhaine." He turned, "I would ask you disincline from it for the evening, save it for the violence tomorrow."

Rhaine growled, reverting to Atlasium "I won't have a piece of dung like you make a demand of me!" Pointing a finger at the unceremonially slung-over sword, "No matter how armed! I will be silenced in your presence only when that crooked wench we call Death finds me!"

Anu stood silent for a moment before falling into an almost hysterical bout of laughter. "Oh, my dear Rhaine..." He quieted down, wiping a tear from his eye. Rhaine was staring completely bewildered at him laughing like that, Anu smiling and clasped both his hands on her shoulders, "Then I will _request _two things: never change and never let that wench catch you."

Rhaine blushed an almost burning red. "I uhhh..." Her mind not wholly present from the sudden change of personality of her charge. "You... you..." She shook her head, snarling, "IDIOT!" Bringing back her fist.

][

"Did you hear that?" Jaune asked unsurely.

Ruby Rose looked around as they entered the main hall of Beacon. "Hear what?"

Jaune grimaced and shrugged, "Must have been just me, but I thought I heard some guy screaming in pain." He shuddered, "Must still be having after effects from that one guys weird ass mind trick."

"Hehe yea. But you DID volunteer. Complaining isn't going to help." Ruby smiled uncomfortably.

Jaune sighed, "Yea. I know..." Placing both his hands behind his head.

"...H-He seemed nice though." Ruby chirped.

Jaune shrugged, "In a weird way, sure. Kinda seemed... I don't know how to put it. Rigid?"

"What do you mea-?" Ruby cut herself off and yelled, "Yang!" Charging forward, when she was in arm's length Yang wrapped her arms around her sister.

"What's my cutey Ruby doing?" Yang squeezed her arms tighter.

Ruby managed a strangled, "Talk to you later." To the young Arc.

Jaune Arc cursed, mumbling a complaint about not having a quirky girl to talk to.

"What have you been up to mah sista?" Yang finally letting go.

"You mean after you abandoned me and I almost exploded?!" Ruby puffed her cheeks out in outrage.

Yangs smile didn't budge, "Are you being sarcastic?"

][

Rhaine was walking across the floor with her arms crossed across her chest. Priest was to her side, rubbing the uncomfortable swelling on the side of his face, hoping the action would accelerate his healing. He must have been lacking in sucrose, his healing abilities have been very slow today.

"Holy hell, what happened to you?" A gruff voice asked, almost laughing.

Priest turned to see a scruffily dressed man, a dirty casual shirt bound in leather straps that led to multiple pistols on his sides, barely hidden by his brown coat, sun kissed skin and bright blue eyes filled with as much curiosity as mischief, a stubble ran from his bottom lip to the end of his chin, a light fuzz sporadically spread over his cheeks and jaw. Dirty blonde hair that barely touched his ears seemed the cleanest part of him and even that shined with grease.

"Ohhh nothing. My thanks for a compliment and well wishing." Anu chuckled.

Rhaine turned, "You want to stop talking."

Priest grimaced uncomfortably, "Yes mistress."

The new comer whistled in awe. "I thought my buds at the fleet were whipped. Damn!" He laughed.

Rhaine glared at him, "And who the hell are you?"

"Ezekiel Raphael Atrona, my buds call me Raf, but you can call me whatever you want." He winked and put on his 'charmin' smile'.

"Eck." Rhaine gagged and rolled her eyes.

"Oo sounds foreign. What does it mean?" Ref teased.

"A lot of things. In this case 'get a shower and a good personality'." Rhaine deadpanned.

Refs' brow shot up, "Wow, a silver belly with a sense of humor. Check that off the bucket list."

Rhaine hissed in anger.

Priest asked out loud, "Silver belly?"

Refs and Rhaines glare off didnt cease as the later explain, "Thems that are with the Atlas High-Guards, silver belly armor and all that. Can see it over a league away. They like their battle armors all shine like."

Rhaine scoffed, "Judging by your piss poor vocabulary and your horrendous smell; you're a copper-rider. A bastard child of those we beat in the great war, the Barian Hegenomy."

"Heyyyy, I don't smell _that_ bad, short stuff. I had a bath three days ago." He crossed his own arms but didn't stop smiling.

Rhaine's ears and tail stood up in absolute rage. Baring her teeth and snarling, "What did you call me?" She demanded threateningly.

Ref blinked, his smile fading. "Hey pal, what's with your gir-" he looked over to see Priest running through the crowd in an apparent panic.

][


	4. Twins, Ren Twins

**Well I'm making this right after i put in my last chapter. Took longer than expected (yay life). To sorta make it clear, religions/beliefs will be present in the story, and some will be analogs or have influences of real world ones and more will be fitting of the fictional environment. I'm approaching all of them with an open hand, my opinions of belief will be only mine and won't be spread to my work, I assure you. It's more of a corner of characters, if it even exists, it won't be a super duper pivotal plot point, so perish the thought that this story is a quest for God or Nirvana.**

**I hate rushing and I wouldn't call this chapter this, but frankly i am anxious to get the action! :D I really want some improvement on it, get some honest feedback on how I write. Any words of wisdom or doubt would be helpful and cherished. Hope you enjoy :)**

**Also. Next chapter I am putting up my cover, which is amazing and made by my girlfriend. You can find her on deviant art, a truly brilliant and creative mind. While slightly biased, I wouldn't call the influence on my opinion to be great haha**

**To Saige McQuill:**

**Haha! In time, the snapping might be an issue, yes. Not the hypno and walk off the cliff part. Will be explained later :)**

**I thank you for your kind words. I hope your opinion of my work only grows. Please, if I violate the initial vision of this literature, share your outrage. I am fearful of this a great deal. Thanks again! :D**

][

"...and then this 'knowitall' bastard gave the assembly the idea that the flora of the area released spores that slowly killed off the expedition. Which is grossly incorrect. There were no abnormalities in the lungs, blood or anything that can denote 'killer spores'. He pulled the idea out of his ass and everyone for some reason went with the notion." The fairly tall, freckled woman by the name of Shora ranted at an unholy pace.

Lie Ren grimaced, massaging his temples. On the opposite side, another boundless reserve of energy was occurring, in the form of Nora, describing the 'awesome' of every detail in the hall.

He was always close with the twin Valkyries, but having both sides of their highly energetic tendencies at the same time has always lead to a headache. Shora was much taller than her sister, and being lither as a result, also having a face full of freckles and blonder hair. She was wearing a short coat that was a dark shade of purple, with jeans and a loose fabric white shirt. To put the metaphorical cherry on top of the 'opposite twins', Shora was practically a genius. She had a limitless, almost encyclopedic intelligence, but wasn't as snobby or stuck up as one would think, always passive but at the same time energetic.

He was pulled away from the comparison as his arm was pulled by Nora and she pointed wildly at this one hunter who was carrying a massive sniper rifle and how 'cute her ears were'.

"Nora." Shora stated with a sort of patient offence. "Pointing is inappropriate. As is grabbing."

Nora chuckled awkwardly, "I can't say 'that way' and he knows where to look silly!"

"Still, I doubt yanking a person for attention is going to really help our situation. And a human pointing at a Faunus isn't... wise." Shora replied in a sort of 'blank caring' attitude.

Rin knew Shora was capable of showing emotion, smiling, hugging, crying but he could count the number of times she did all of them with his fingers alone, and has known the twins for years.

"THE HELL ARE YOU POINTING AT?!" Rhaine demanded at Nora.

Nora seemed irked and retracted her arm, grimacing.

Much of the gathering stopped its chattering and stared at the dog-Faunus. The person she was with, a shaggy looking man with a goatee and long brown jacket could audibly be heard face palming. He said a comment as he rubbed his face and the woman started yelling at him, "I DONT GIVE A DAMN HOW I LOOK! They can goto hell! And you too! I am not short enough to limit shoving my foot so far up my ass that if you tried to speak; you'd need permission from my pinky toe!"

Everyone seemed to grow disinterested after that, receding back into making its own background noise as the two continued screaming and yelling at each other.

][

Priest sighed and rubbed the back of his head as he heard the extremely loud feud between Rhaine and this 'Raf' character. He seemed a somewhat kind person, unfortunately he was as headstrong as Anu's companion when a fight was agitated. Hopefully, it will stay only verbal.

A part of him feels guilty from the sudden rout. He however knows very clearly that despite Anu's own neutrality in the situation, Rhaine would take her insulted length to a degree which would make her inflict greater harm than usual.

Anu sighed, 'Hope I can help her with that need of violence someday.' Though he doubted he himself would change it. Rhaine had too much knowledge of Anu, and her patriotism mixed with a cruel sense of justice demands she always remind him that she will never be fully a friend to him. That she would not hesitate to kill him either. The line of thought was depressing, and he quickly focused on the environment, trying to pick out familiar faces, or situations he could help with. The need for one or both of these pushed him deeper into the ever increasing size of the crowd.

Most seemed to be new arrivals, having come from one of the airships. Others were already students at Beacon, maybe to observe, meet new people or perhaps welcome familiar faces.

He observed further and happened to notice someone that almost put a pep in his step. Two someone's actually, by the name of Ruby and Yang. He began his slow and as polite as possible drudge threw the thick crowd as he made his way to the pair.

However, he stopped several feet away when he noticed the... abrasive woman in white from earlier. A mix between berating and insulting, no doubt. As much as Priest would wish to intrude and stop the conversation, he shouldn't presume and rudely break the communication if he was wrong.

][

"Ooo." Weiss mockingly cooed, "We could have sleep overs, do each other's nails and talk about boys. Like tall, dark and robey over here."

][

Priest then suddenly sneezed, trying to shield others nearby from the sheer ferocity of it.

][


	5. Silence is Black and possibly Blue

**To clear the subject, as well as having something to talk about before the event begins; I've modified this story from the two sections of RWBY that's officially released. If they continue it, I doubt I'd be derailed from what I've already planned :) also, I'm trying to make another whole group of hunters, and will take any ideas or inspirations if one wishes to have it included in this fic. **

**One more thing; I'm changing the Grimm drastically. Mostly for story reasons, as I was a bit confused on how some of the lowest Grimm like a Beowulf can be tougher than an Ursa, if not only one shot by a certain character. They're ALL tough, numerous, and they're getting worse as time goes on. I'm also changing appearances, I preferred the Beowulf from the Red trailer, not the weird thing they were finalized as. As well as things such how individual Grimm grow, are born and evolve, and why they are in this world and why they act so adversarial towards only humans/Faunus.**

**Favorite and review if you like it or think I should do something different. Certainly makes me feel better ^^'**

**Now to the story! Mush!**

**[]**

(Several minutes ago)

Goodwitch frowned at the Beacon Academy Professor. "Why didn't you inform me of this... discrepancy?" Pointing at her Scroll, the image of Priest, Anu the center of it.

The Scroll was centered on Ozpins desk. The Professor breathed out slowly. He was hoping that'd he'd be confronted during the Trial. After he racked a body count of Grimm. It certainly would've helped in her approval.

"First that child with a scythe. That I could handle because I saw what she did. I can handle that. But THIS?!" Glaring at Ozpin. "I would never had approved. You know why?"

Ozpin sipped his mug. "No."

Goodwitch hissed, "Because I SAW what HE did!"

Ozpin pushed his glasses further up his nose. "The Demon of Atlas is dead."

"To hell with proclaiming official reports." She slammed her hands on the desk, more for making a point then sheer frustration. "I won't have that MURDERER inside this academy."

Ozpin shook his head, "You won't." He pointed to the Scroll, "That man is different than the one you once encountered during the Desert Dust uprising." He walked to face the blonde, whose face had rearranged to indifference and calm. "I spoke to him. I trust him to do what he promised when he turned himself in."

Goodwitch's eye twitched, "How long has he been held?"

Ozpin placed the cup on the desk next to the scroll, "Three years ago. Ever since the uprising had ceased."

Goodwitch slowly shook her head, looking away from the greynette. "That terrorist should've been killed."

Ozpin sighed once more. "You don't understand it, do you Glynda?"

Goodwitch was going to take the comment as an insult, if the Professor didn't take up the Scroll and quickly start tapping away. Seconds passed before a picture representation of Ironwood. "Hello. It's Ozpin. Sorry to disturb, but I need you to show Glynda exactly what you showed me."

There was a grumble on the other side of the communication. Ozpin handed the machine over, where Goodwitch was shown a number of images, with 'high classification' written on the top of all of them.

Her eyes nearly bulged from her skull and she had to fight a gasp.

The initial few were just images of the Desert Dust uprising. Settlements on fire. Some she even recognized.

The last however was what caused her reaction.

It was of a body, amidst a pile of charred corpses. The man was armored, his helmet as crisped as the cadavers he once stood upon. A single bullet hole, at the dead center of his head. She quickly scrolled back to the image of Priest and placed it next to the dead mans.

She shook her head, "I don't understand." Completely confused.

Ozpin tapped his cane once and grimaced. "You're preaching to the choir." He rubbed his temple, "Atlas has the body if you're wondering."

Ozpin looked one more time at the two images. No matter how many times he tried to wrap his head around it, he always got a chill up his back.

He closed the Scroll, handing it back to Goodwitch, her gaze still distant and distracted with her trying to understand what was just introduced. "Come on. We are needed elsewhere."

Goodwitch regained her focused, regaining her passive-grimace.

[]

(Now)

"SHOVE IT YOU, BARBARIAN! YOUR ANCESTORS RAPED, RAIDED AND DESTROYED THE COASTS OF ATLAS FOR GENERATIONS!" Rhaine barked back.

Like any argument stemming from petty hatred, it descended into the realm of politics long passed.

Raf groaned and roared back, inches away from her face, "IM NOT MY ANCESTORS YOU DUMBASS! WHAT MY PEOPLE DID OR DIDNT DO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHY YOU ACT LIKE A COMPLETE BITCH TO SOMEONE YOU JUST MET!"

"NOW WERE BRINGING RACE INTO THIS?!" Rhaine yelled.

"GOOD GOD! IM NOT BRINGING RACE INTO THIS YA IGNORANT SILVER BELLY!"

Ozpin was adjusting the microphone, gaining everyone's attention. Except two fiercely competitive souls.

"IM A DOG-FAUNUS! YOU CAN'T CALL ME A BITCH AND NOT EXPECT ME TO BRING RACE INTO THIS!"

Ozpin, as well as every other soul assembled stared awkwardly at the arguing pair. He coughed into the microphone. Without effect.

"IM CALLING YOU A BITCH CAUSE YOURE ACTIN' LIKE A BITCH! A BITCH IN HEAT HAS MORE MANNERS THEN YOU!"

"Excuse me!" Ozpin stated, raising his voice enough to gain the bickerers attention.

The both stared wide eyed at the Professor. Just noticing that they were both being glared at en masse.

Raf scratched his head uncomfortably, embarrassed.

Rhaine, on the other hand...

The Faunus looked around, "Priest?!" She mumbled something to herself, rubbing her face.

Ozpin pushed up his glasses, "I'll make this brief..."

Priest placed his blade against the wall he would be resting. Sort of marking his territory, mainly because most of his belongings had yet to be returned. He as well as the other hunters were given sleeping rolls, and told to spend the evening with everyone else in another large room. Something which he felt a bit uncomfortable with. He preferred sleeping as isolated as possible, not because of preference, mostly from habit.

He grinned at the recollection.

The red of the desert grass flowing over the hills like a stilled, frozen ocean of crimson. The shattered moon illuminating everything with a white-blue light, almost chilling the air even more. He didn't pay any mind to the temperature, hot, cold, it didn't matter. He ran to the highest hill, falling down in a relaxed exhaustion, the grass embracing him with thin, sensitive fingers. He could see the branches of Palm root out of his peripheral vision, the extensions of the flora reaching out in vain to the distant moon.

Priest's fond grin slowly turned sour. He sighed, 'I must change. I cannot rely on the past to bring me solace anymore.'

"Excuse me." A feminine voice asked to his side. Priest turned to see the black haired and ribbon woman from earlier. The bow still obnoxiously present at the top of her head, but the attire was of a modest night dress. "Do you mind if I use the spot here? I want to use the candle for reading."

Priest smiled at her, "I do not mind."

She nodded and smiled, "Thanks."

Priest slowly added, "Uh, but i may have a friend of mine yell or beat me later. Just as a warning." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

The brunette's eye brow rose, "Was it that Dog Faunus I saw earlier?"

He nodded, smiling awkwardly.

She grimaced uncomfortably. "Do you want me to help out if she finds you?"

Priest held up both hands, "Oh, i thank you for the offer, but it would cause more harm than good. Best her only focus on me and let her vent. She has an issue with others 'butting into her businesses and can get very loud from it."

Blake shrugged, "If you say so." This guy a defeatist or something? Enjoys being on the wrong end of things? Not sticking up for himself?

Priest smiled, offering a hand, "I apologize, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Anu Icarusi Priest Cadens. My formal greeting name is Priest, but if you don't care for formality, Anu is just fine."

Blake paused, not taking the hand but nodding at the man, "Blake."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Blake." He smiled warmly at her.

"If you don't mind, Anu, I'd appreciate some peace and quiet." Blake gestured with her head to the book in her hand.

Priest nodded, "It is no issue, you won't even noti-" he grunted as a fist smashed against the back of his head.

"So I see you're introducing yourself to more natives. Kill anyone yet?" Rhaine spat.

Blake blinked in surprise.

Priest chuckled rubbing his head, "Why would i kill the natives? They're nice, diverse, and have this thing called chocolate."

Rhaine scoffed, "Don't wake me for any reason tonight, Priest." That's when she turned to Blake. Rhaines armor was replaced by a black shirt and sweat pants, appearing smaller without her arms and protection.

They stared and glared daggers at each other in complete silence.

Rhaine was the first to speak, "The hells your malfunction?"

Blake replied firmly, "I'm not the one who has an issue."

Rhaine shook her head, "You haven't said ten words to me and i already hate you as much as Priest. Congratulations. New fucking record." She stated sarcastically.

Priest uneasily observed the glare off, almost feeling the static in the air rise as it continued.

"Rhaine." Priests smile receded, "you are a guest here. You will treat others the respect that they deserve."

Rhaines gaze didn't move from Blake, "They haven't earned my respect."

"But they have mine." Priest stood in front of Rhaine, "You're not here for yourself, you are here because you are responsible for my fate." His face turned into a menacing scowl, even worse than the one he had before. It practically dripped with malice, "You give them respect, as if your emperor himself commanded it."

Rhaine felt it hard to keep a steady gaze at him, feeling a single bead of sweat on her brow. "You don't command me. I thought I made that clear to you..." She switched to Atlasian, "Deshoma."

Priest had to fight back a snarl, instead taking a step towards the Faunus, who stepped back in kind. "But you will fear my commands. They will be few and far in between, but by whatever deity or creed you worship and hold, you will heed my words."

Rhaine clenched her teeth, a sliver of fear managing to find its way into her heart. She gulped, her mouth strangely dry. She scoffed, "Whatever." Shaking her head as she walks away, "She's not worth my time."

Priest sighed, his shoulders slumping somewhat. He turned back to Blake, warmly smiling at her. "I apologize for my accomplice. She isn't comfortable with people she doesn't trust."

Blake felt slightly off put by the argument. "It's uh, no problem." She quickly sat down and opened her book, lighting a match and the candles soon after. Trying to focus on her literature rather than ponder what had just occurred, not feeling it was her business.

"Im pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend, back to zero." Said Ruby, her voice edged with disappointment.

Yang brayed her lips, "You can't make a negative friend. You just have one friend and one enemy." Before getting smacked by dog pillow.

Yang grimaced at Ruby, "It's only been one day, you're surrounded by friends, and you just haven't met them yet."

Ruby's attention was turned away from feeling sorry for she over today's incident with Weiss when someone lit a match. "That girl..." Ruby stated recalling this afternoon.

"That hunk." Looking at the one near the brunette, a lecherous grin spreading.

Ruby frowned at her half-sister, not saying anything.

Yang noticed this and shrugged, the grin changing to a joking smile, "C'mon, you have to admit he's hot." Ruby blushed, looking more uncomfortable then annoyed. Yang looked to the brunette with the bow tie, "You know her?"

Ruby shrugged, "Not really, she saw what happened today but didn't talk much."

Yang piped up, "Here's a good time for a talk." Before grabbing Ruby and dragging her to the girl.

Blake eyed two girls moving towards her corner, a blonde and a brunette with hints of red in her hair. The smaller red one she recognized, the taller blonde didn't have a face she knew. She cursed mentally, marking the page in her book.

"Hellllo!" The blonde singsonged.

Anu to her left looked up from his own writing, "Ah, Ruby. Yang." He smiled, standing up.

[]

Raf sipped the sleep tonic with a face contorted with disgust. Stuff tasted like it was made with things like eye of newt and manure. Sleeping without a steady rocking of a boat felt wrong. And impossible without something to help him along.

What's worse, his neighbors were nosier then stuck livestock. Especially the red head. The blonde mumbled something as she was laying in her sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling. The guy in between them just took both in stride, with the red head constantly jabbering.

'Eesh. The women here seem crazier than at the flotilla.' He thought. Which wasn't saying much, Barian society was matriarchal, with a chancellor in charge of individual ships, as well as fleets and armadas. All the chicks there were all 'head my leadership, or I'll get all heated 'n stab ya with a rusty knife.'

The thought made said rusty knife scar wound itch, lifting up his striped shirt, he saw it bellow the left side of his rib cage.

"Well, would've expected you to wash before you slept. Wouldn't want your stink sticking to me." Ref recognized the shrew voice instantly.

"I was thinkin' bout it. But it's all gunna be the same, considerin' were all gunna be hip deep in Grimm tomorrow." Ref laid fully into his sleeping bag, seeing Rhaine upside-down. "Hey, good news. From where I'm layin', you actually look like you have a chest."

Rhaine growled, her face reddening, "Well from where I was standing you actually seemed to have a brain."

Ref laughed, "That was actually pretty good." Rhaine was going to stomp off if he didn't catch her ankle. "Let's make a pact, okay?" Rhaine looked wearily at him, "You go one way, I go the other tomorrow. I have this indictable fear that you're gunna shoot me in the back of the head if you get me range of that cannon ya got." Rhaine kicked her foot clear of his hand.

Rhaine rolled her eyes, "You're not worth the ammo. That stuffs expensive." Walking off to her own sleeping bag.

Ref chuckled, 'She's a bitch, a silver belly and a time bomb, but I like what I see when she walks away.' Grinning to himself. 'Tail included.'

"Hello gorgeous." Yang replied to Priest, "Where've you been?"

Anu looked awkwardly at the two, "Oh. Being here, there. You know." Itching his face, not really giving eye contact. He sighed, pulling the cord that held his pony tail together, his hair falling on his shoulders.

Blake gestured to Ruby, "Aren't you the girl that almost exploded?"

"Uh yea, I'm Ruby..." She gave her hand out, where Blake looked at it then back at Ruby. "Or you can call me... never mind."

Anu grimaced at the conversations pattern. He took off his robe, placing it against the wall like a makeshift pillow.

Yang smiled, "What's your name?"

"Blake." She replied, taking her eyes away from the book for a moment.

'Wow, this is painful to watch' Anu thought.

()

**End of the fifth chapter!**

**Just wanted to add a couple things:**

**I'm giving Atlas the classical Roman Empire vibe, but the emperor himself is governed by a constitution and has a senate. They're the world's greatest military power, not only due to technology but from leaps of discipline.**

**Vale has a central European vibe, personally x) leaning more towards German rather than French, mostly due to the story influences of the main characters and not due to my bias of the (golem voice) filthy frenches. *ahem***

**Also! The 'country' Ref is from is entirely sea bound, with some having settled on unclaimed islands. They're sorta like the Etruscans (not sure if spelt right), before the romans buried them in bodies. They're more like sea bound Wild West settlers. I've added a couple of other countries or different cultures, where the four kingdoms are more of the greatest in terms of population, military, scientific development, manufacturing and stability.**

**That's about it! :D everyone have a funky fresh day and I'll catch ya on the flip side! :)**

**Heres a link to an awesome artist: **


	6. Plans, Hope and Chocolate

**Hello my friends! :D I am quite excited for this chapter, though I'm concerned over how well it will turn out, this and the next x) I've had hand in writing fighting, but those that I ask to help me with over viewing it say it's a bit cumbersome and confusing.**

**Also as a bit of info before the story continues; while I recognize that the characters of Rwby are inspired from stories, these characters that I made aren't limited to fantasy/folklore or being inspired by just one. Anu Priest is such an example. He and his name were inspired by a couple of characters from Monte Cristo (the fiction, not the sandwich [tho that sounds reeeeallly good right now]). Specifically the more recent film, where Dantes refers to his pal in jail only as Priest who used to be a man in Napoleons army, where he was ordered to burn down a church which held a group of rebels and turned to being a man of faith in repentance before being thrown in jail. It's been a very long time since I read the book, and I'm not sure if he was in it in the same form, but I think in the book his name is Abbe Fania (take this with more than a grain of salt) and is a monk who at one point experimented with the concept of hypnotism. This isn't the only story he's derived from, but it's his initial personality in the reader's perspective.**

**Rhaines is of the roman myth of Aeneas. It's a dog who gave birth to two certain Romans, I'm sure if you're familiar with the myth you'll recognize it.**

**I still don't own the rights to RWBY. :) And certainly not the rights of Monte Christo. Which is good, cause I'm sure if I had it to either, id f**k it up XD**

**Rate, favorite, comment, review! Or whatever it does that makes this fanfiction more noticeable and teaches me stuff haha. Keep reviews n comments fit for a gentleman or noble lady. But not too much in the factor of manners ja? *wink wink***

**][**

"Yes, the nights about as good this book." Blake forced a grin, hoping her message would be a bit clearer to the girls.

The smiled at her blankly. 'Obviously that went over their heads.'

"Which I will enjoy as soon as you're gone." Blake easily dropped the faux smile and continued reading.

Yang muttered something to Ruby.

Priest had left several minute prior to attend his personal hygiene.

Also, he needed a kettle. Which was difficult to manage because of his inept knowledge of the electronics this part of the world relies on. He didn't wish to risk setting anything on fire, instead taking heated sink water from a restroom.

He bobbed the metal encased globe of spices in and out of the mug. The hot water shortly turned a deep red, the aroma of cinnamon and sugar cane flowing from it. He was very disappointed he couldn't have some food before bed, the kitchen was closed and he didn't have the faculties to use the machines in order to cook the food in the freezer.

'Well...' He thought as he stared at a raw slab of beef. 'I don't necessarily NEED to cook it.'

Rhaine scoffed as she hugged her pillow. 'Damn asshole. Talking down at me like a child.' She had thought of several scenarios on how she should have responded. They made her feel better, sure, but at the same time she knew they were inaccurate.

She's seen plenty of intimidating people when she was in training for the Atlas High Guard, especially her instructors, but today that man outshined them. The worst part to her was how calm he seemed, he didn't lash out like how a normal angry person should have, yelling kicking and screaming. It the was the way his eyes looked.

'Eh. I could've taken him in a fight, weapon or no weapon.' She huffed mentally. As she continued recalling today's events in reverse order she recalled the one comment that copper rider made.

She looked down at her chest and scoffed, 'My breasts are fine. He was just being an ass.' The thought bothered her thought nagged her. It was odd, she usually isn't insecure about things like that. She was a fighter, not a big breasted bimbo like that blonde she saw earlier.

[]

Priest was walking back, sucking on the tips of his finger, the juices still fresh, cup still in hand and mostly filled. He was striding back to his spot, expecting Blake to be alone, reading and smiled when Ruby and Yang were seen talking between each other. Up till Yang squeals something about her baby sister and put her in a bear hug.

He held back laughing when it descended into a friendly sort of cat fight.

"Why are you people so damn loud? We're trying to sleep!" Weiss demanded as she stomped over.

Priest sighed, sitting back down at his spot. Blake rolled her eyes at the bickering group of girls, blowing the candle out.

Priest felt relieved by the dark, it relaxed him. Soon the girls separated and began preparing to sleep.

He just needed to rest for a time, sleep didn't exactly come naturally to him unless he was dead exhausted. Metaphorically speaking of course.

He laid his head against the wall, feeling some time pass. Maybe hours, maybe minutes. Resting in perfect, statue eques meditation blurred time rather than make it pass assuredly faster. He broke the focus after a time, counting the hour but was disappointed to see the stars weren't in the correct positions here, unable to detail when some were brightest and the others were dim, but were clearly seen from the windows. The moon however was still an able time taker. Whenever dawn approached, the more intact side glowed a warm orange. He guessed from some kind of risen of air heating up, then burning, dying out maybe an hour after. Dusk was different. Some of the large chunks of moon made a faint blue light, the reasoning for this was beyond him.

"Hey? You awake?" A female voice whispered.

Anu moved his eyes from the window, looking over to his neighbor Blake laying down but looking at him dead in the eye.

He smiled lightly, "Yes. What's on your mind?"

Blake shrugged, "Just a bit curious." She sat up from her bed, leaning against the wall. "Why are you called Priest? What kind of Priest are you?"

The question was sobering, this one is wiser then she looks. "What makes you think it's not just a name? A coincidence of words?"

Blake ran a hand threw her hair. "I don't believe in coincidence."

Anu Priest nodded, "It's not a name. It's a title, a state of being. I don't have a religion."

Blake looked confused at the response, but interested. "Can you explain that a bit more?"

He closed his eyes, sighing. Not out of frustration but more so relief and enjoyment. He loved questions, "My people have titles which personify what one aspires to be in a certain way. We are what we do. Guide, Talker, Healer, Artist, Sculptor, Defender, Farmer, Leader, Debater, Scientist." He leant ahead, looking Blake right back in the eye, which seemed to startle her. He continued, "Priests aren't bound by religious dogma. It is a title similar to how your Hunters are here. We protect. Though it extends to be beyond physical."

Blake was thinking, calculating the subject and answers carefully. "What does Priest mean to you then?"

Anus gaze drifted, "Never stop hoping. Never stop helping. Come to a friend with charity and an open hand, loathe injustice, reason with the heart as much as the head. Protect the ones who cannot or chose not to protect themselves from harm within and without. And understand that good and evil are subjective, that light and dark reside in all things."

Blake smiled lightly at that, "Sounds nice." She shrugged again, "It's a shame that the world can rarely accommodate people like that."

"And eat lots of chocolate."

Blake blinked. "What?"

Anu smiled from ear to ear, "And eat lots of chocolate. That's what being Priest means to me."

Blake rolled her eyes fighting a chuckle, in case he was serious. "Well... okay."

Priest laughed lightly, "Don't get me wrong, I was earnest, but I can't be too much like a sage. I can't pull it off like my father."

Blake's head tilted in curiosity, "Was your father called Priest?"

He nodded, "Priest was the only thing I called him in childhood. Always smiling, wise and happy to help no matter how big or small the problem was." He breathed out of his nose, "What about you? How were your parents?"

Blake sighed, "They were..." She rolled her head from a bit from side to side, as if meading the thought like dough. "Passionate." She coughed lightly, "They're not uhh... around anymore."

Priest looked confused for a moment before he grasped the hint she gave. "Oh." He stated somberly, "I beg your forgiveness, bringing the subject such so casually when I should have been more careful."

Blake gave a small, sad smile, "It's no trouble."

"Thank you." He bowed his head at her.

Blake looked around some, satisfied that everyone was inactive and not listening. "Are you a Faunus?" She whispered even quieter.

Priest looked genuinely surprised, "Ihtah?" He placed his hand on his chin, "Why do you ask that?"

"Oh uh, well you can see me in pitch black. Kinda gives it away." She shrugged. He noticed she does that often, must be a conversational habit.

Anu shook his head, "Which is unpleasant in presumption, because I'm not a Faunus."

"Oh." She stated, feeling embarrassed by the question.

"Are you a Faunus?" He smiled teasingly at her. "You also can see me in the dark."

Blake blushed, trying to think of an excuse. "I uhhh eat lots of carrots?"

Priest seemed to be struggling to not laugh, "Carrots?"

"Y-Yeah. They help with your eyesight. B-Been eating lots of them for years." Blake continued, stuttering slightly.

"Huh. Interesting." Priest replied, the humor gone, appearing more appeased by the answer.

'This guy should be on to me. I can't tell a lie for my life.' She thought.

"You should sleep. We will be up in only a few hours." Priest pointed out.

Blake felt irked by the realization, "Yea, you're right."

"I think they're might enough time for a cat nap." Priest scratched his chin as he looked out the window.

'Ah! He knows!' Blake frowned despairingly.

"That is the correct saying?" He questioned Blake, "A short amount of time to sleep for energy? I heard the saying on the airship and that's what Rhaine told me it means."

Blake felt relieved. 'Oh.' "Uhhhh yes."

He smiled proudly, "I am learning the local slang."

'This guy is so... odd. But he's friendly I guess.' "Um Good night."

He nodded to her, "Good night Blake."

Rhaine scratched her head, walking into the dining hall a bit bleary eyed. She made it a goal to be here early.

"Uhhhhhhh." She groaned, "Should've expected you to be here to ruin my morning."

Priest smiled, "Good morning to you too." Cutting another slice of pancake.

"Muh." She walked to the kitchen and picked up a tray of food, walked back to the table and sat down.

"Rhaine?" Priest asked gaining her attention.

"What?" She impatiently replied.

"We can't talk over breakfast when were on opposite end of the table."

"I'm so glad you noticed." Rhaine scoffed, shoveling scrambled eggs in her mouth.

Priest frowned, 'I guess shell be cross at me for a time considering my outburst last night.'

][

"What is that?" Ref stared at the cup in front of the 'what's-his-face' he saw yesterday.

He turned on his seat, "Its cinnamon-sugar cane. Tea."

He stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Sounds too sweet, buck." Sliding his tray next to him.

He seemed a bit odd from the sudden action, though they didn't formally know of each other.

"Uh, excuse me, I must introduce myself. My name is-" Priest began before being cut out by Raf when he slapped him on the shoulder, "Ihtah?*" He asked panicked that he somehow offended him.

Raf smiled, "I'll learn your name in the field. Right now; the only thing I want to call ya is Pal. Is that alright?"

Priest nodded, smiling gladly. "Yes, of course."

Raf held up a fork, "Now as pals...!" He took a pancake from Priests plate, "We have liberty to each other's spoils."

Priest sighed, looking at him disapprovingly.

"Oh c'mon don't give me no puppy eyes." He complained back. "In exchange..." He placed a mug filled with a brown, almost black liquid, steam waving from its surface. "...something I'm certain you never partook it."

Priest gave it a questionable look before grasping the mug.

"It'll put some hair on your chest!" Slapping the shoulder again.

Priest sniffed it, finding the smell somewhat strange but palatable.

He sipped it. Quickly spitting it out in utter disgust!

"Aw what the hell man?!" Raf cursed.

"Shak-cami outi'cin bandooragy!" Priest yelled in his native tongue, wiping his tongue with a napkin.

"Remnantian man! If you gotta cuss, cuss right." He face palmed.

"That stuff tasted like farm-dirt before seeding!" Priest 'cussed'. "What is that?"

"Coffee, man. The strongest thing I got right now." He laughed. "Oh Messiahs ass, save me that was some funny shit."

[]

Shora observed Nora and Rin. Like she did every morning, save this time she wasn't just observing the two, reading a Grimm book in her lap. She pushed her obnoxiously large reading glasses back up her nose and continued the theory of 'Dust Origin', where the idea that the Grimm ARE Dust. Its sound in reasoning, at least compared to all the other theories out there.

If she hears another preach about 'They are the souls' anathema' one more time, she will use her Semblance to bring the roof down on top of everyone.

"Aw what the hell man?!" A male yelled out in embarrassment and surprise.

She looked over to see two males, one was of unfamiliar nationality, the other seemed to be of Barian descent due to the patch on the top of his left arm jacket, and his facial hair. Barian males are forced to grow some form of facial hair at a very early age, as it is a sign of manhood and not having one is viewed as rejecting it. The other that caught her interest more, which was having the difficulty ingesting something. Due to physical characteristics, he didn't give an impression of being a Faunus or human, his features were beautiful but at the same time not too obtuse or unmasculine. Though her sense of aesthetics are seen as questionable at the best of times by her sister and Rin, they could be inaccurate.

Then he spoke words she had no recollection of in any language. She 'zipped' from her seat, dropping the book on the floor.

Holding up her Scroll to his face. "Say that again."

The man seemed irked, blinking at the machine in her hand.

"Ihtah?" He asked questioningly.

"Good. But the thing you said before. In that language. I want to translate it." She quickly replied.

"Ihtah?" He repeated, more confused.

"No, the other words." She stated,

"What the hidey hell are you doing?" The barian male asked her angrily.

She looked over and quickly retorted, "Linguistics. Syntax. Grammar. Phonology. His speaking has not been heard or recorded before."

"What?" "Ihtah?" They both asked confusion only growing.

'Dumb it down. Slowly.' She made a short intake and exhale of breath. "I am trying to make record of what he has said, translate it into more common languages, and get more credits in the Science Bureau in Vale. Also genuine interest and curiosity." While the speaking was slowed, it was still very fast for a normal person.

"Oh." Priest scratched his head, "I suppose I'm more than happy to. But before then, my name is Anu Icarusi Priest Cadens, a pleasure to meet you." He stood from his seat and held out his hand.

"Fascinating." She replied, thinking briefly. "One name is for formal reference, perhaps in the way of duties, the other informal, personal, the second and fourth, are of family descent and then of clan." She thought another second, "Most fascinating, the first two are unique. Prime numbers. Can't be multiplied. Are personal to only you. The third and fourth, broad, unspecific to you as a person but specify ability and affiliation."

Priest was sweating uncontrollably, looking incredibly awkward and bewildered that she so easily took apart the meaning of his names. "Ihtah?" He asked meekly.

"...wait." Raf stated, "The third name isn't personal. And it's a prime number."

The area around Shora darkened, her eyes turned into windows of pure, absolute hatred as she turned towards Raf. "Do not correct me." She said, much slower and malevolent. "It's a thesis. I have yet to prove or disprove it."

"Okay okay okay, I'm not correcting!" He held up his hands in surrender, fear filling every millimeter of his body.

"Ehhh, can you tell me your name?" Priest asked sheepishly.

The dark aura disappeared as quickly as it came. "My name is Shora Valkyrie." She then held the Scroll to his face again. "Speak."

'I feel like a trained house pet or something.' He asked himself mentally.

][

"What kinda miracle do we have here?" Raf stated humorously.

"I'm not exactly a morning person..." Rhaine moved things around in her locker, "so I recommend you fuck off or I will be tempted to shoot you."

Raf brayed his lips, "Alright alright..." He quickly yanked the submachine gun from her holster. "I'll just have a quick look see."

The Faunus a heartbeat after he did, place her rifles barrel on his chest. "Give Remus back, or you'll be missing a heart, lung, and a good portion of your spine." She demanded threateningly.

He gulped, holding the gun out for her to reach. "A-at least you can't say I ain't got a spine?" He forced a smile. Almost as much as that joke.

She quickly grasped the weapon. "Wherever it lead, I'm sure it's not a brain." Placing Remus back in his home.

"Wellll not on my shoulders." He winked.

"Eck." She gagged, retracting her sniper rifle.

"There's that foreign nick name again." He laughed, he got his own pistols out of his locker. Equipping the Dust Cartridges on his sides. "What's the snipe's name?" Walking back to the pooch with a chip on her shoulder.

"Huh?" Rhaine asked caught completely out of focus.

"Your rifle? What's his or her name?" He crossed his arms smiling, "I presume since you called that contraption on that leg of yours..." He made a cat call whistle before continuing, "Ya also gots a name for your cannon."

She scoffed loudly, completely fed up with hearing his voice, "Romulus!" Slamming the locker closed. "Now get out of my way!"

Priest tightened the straps of his gauntlets one more time. The copper colored metal armor plates covered the top of his hands and forearms all the way to his elbows. The forearms were almost unseen however, as there were a brace of a dozen or so Vuriki on each forearm. The throwing knives were three sided, the edges gleamed with severity and precision.

He tucked his sleeves in the gauntlets, it lessened anything getting caught. Also helped chaffing. Chaffing is a cruel mistress.

He tied his robes, but left the top unbuttoned. No reason past claustrophobia of that part of the robe. The leather bandoleer held his most precious possession, a Sudra, long single edged long sword. The hilt was extended, making a bit more than a quarter of its length.

It was so much more than a sword though. It was alive in a sort of way. Aware. Understanding. Even having moods. People here don't truly understand what Dust is, or what it can do to applied weapon. At the base of the sword, lay a heart of Living-Dust. The golden core, encased by Khepri steel. Though her birth is due to the influence of outsiders, inspired one could say.

He placed a hand softly on the handle over his right shoulder, smiling. "Good morning."

From an on looker, it seemed like it made no response. The contact however made sure the connection and communion was clear to only them.

The sword more or less felt 'Relieved/Glad'.

'Sorry about that. They made sure I didn't travel with any weapons.' He thought back, regretfully.

'Condescending/bragging.'

'Well, they don't know how strong I am, physically at least. I didn't want to scare them more then they probably already were.'

'Petty want/childish teasing.'

'They REALLY don't need to know that part.' He laughed to her.

He picked up the last part of his arsenal, the 'blade' extremely light, in his hands compared to his versatile companion.

'Groans of Jealousy.'

Anu shrugged, 'With respect, I don't wish to use you. You're powerful, but I only awaken if I have no choice. If death of an ally is undoubted.'

'Grumbling insults.'

Priest smiled, 'Thoth isn't like you, a being, having a partial soul. He can be perfectly controlled by me...' Placing the shorter blade in a holster at his back waist. '...Shu.'

'Pointless grumbling.'

][

**The action will soon begin! Blood for the blood god! Skulls for the skull throne, French for French fries! :D**

**As a subject issue; the aura humans and Faunus have were a bit confusing to me. I think hunters are people who have an aura strong enough for semblances and bodily protection, but they're only in a portion of the population. Sorta like Jedi from Star wars x) auras protect from harm, but when the user takes damage, it can't be repaired by it (unless you're Jaune Arce apparently). Btw, Jaunes semblance is going to be along the lines of Altering Density, because Cardin punches him and reacts like a steel elephant punched HIS fist haha.**

**I'm also adding another couple of elements which sorta go along the lines of Dust and Semblances, but is a bit more metaphysical, psychicky, which I'm called Ego (because Freud!) x)**

**Remember to favorite and review! Hasta!**

*Ihtah: emotional/improper/informal statement of generalized confusion of a situation. Like saying 'what', 'pardon', 'excuse'.


	7. I like Big Guns, I cannot Lie

Guten Tag! :D

Making this right after my inablity to access my computer to put up my last chapter ^^' hopefully when i make good way with this, I'll get it back X)

Priests kinsmen are my own make and combination of a couple of cultures put together. A bit of ancient egyptian here, some shinto japan there, sprinkled with a bit of Metaphysical manipulation :)

Review, favorite, criticize and stuff :D gently, but not too gently.

Don't own the rights to RWBY. This is for fun and educational purposes. Sorta like gardening.

Also. Something to ponder. Raven is the chick at the end of the second volume of Rwby, right? Yang's/Ruby's uncle is Qrow. Coincidence? ;)

][

"...do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path." Professor Ozpin finished.

Most of what the two instructors were blank noise to Rhaine. She held Remus with almost divine reverence, knowing it was life and death when they are launched out into the emerald forest.

Rhaine was nervous. Insanely, unrealistically so. She's faced Grimm before. She shouldn't be the least bit nervous about this! She's the possible executor of the Demon of Atlas! The Senate, the Imperitoraria, the Emperor himself entrusted her with this responsibility because they knew of her skill in battle.

'Why the hell am I scared?!' She bit the inside of her cheek harshly.

"Are you okay? You're shaking." Shora asked, face and voice as neutral as ever. Shora was carrying a weapon herself, two prongs attached to her right wrist, folded back to her elbow. A crossbow of some sort? But the ends had blades attached, little more than daggers. The 'weapon' was secured to her wrist with a feed of some kind. The arm that carried it was encompassed in metal, all the way up to her shoulder. Her light jacket hid if it led to an energy source on her back, maybe a Dust carriage for power.

Rhaine hissed in anger at herself. She gripped the rifle tighter, hoping her aggression would cure her of the shakes. "I'm fine." She replied bitterly.

"Don't be afraid. Fear claims lives."

"Shut up!" Rhaine spat back.

"Be angry. Or personally, curious. For blood." Shora meant to sound reassuring, tinged with a bit of humor. It felt almost liberating, she even had a small as she spoke.

The Faunus growled lowly in response. 'Shut up shut up shut up!' She screamed mentally.

][

Priest exhaled slowly, easing his muscles, closing his eyes. It was almost a form of self-hypnosis, all sound, and sensation seemed to fade. There was nothing but the steady, lulled rhythm of his breath.

Most if not all Disciples of Ego had at least this form of control over their mind. To find a place of peace within their mental projections and hearts stories.

Anu used to remember, recall and reenact peaceful memories within this place. What feels like a lifetime ago, this place didn't need to be barren in order to find rest? The Ego takes a price and risk of all users. One has to be above being driven by baser instincts. If Anu could do it, he was certain a child of any make and disposition could harness Ego with ease.

If they fell to being manipulated by darker impulses... well...

He opened his crimson eyes, the inner iris glowing a soft red before dimming. He was awakened from his solitude by the clicking of the rowed catapult pads under feet, preparing to launch the hunters into a forest thick with Grimm.

'Great Gods-of-Old... that's a lot of wood.' Vale still amazed Anu to no end. In the homeland, what places that could grow wood were nowhere near this dense. Wood was rare. It was a luxury, what land that could grow anything of any kind was used to produce food. The oases were dug into vast produce caverns, the wells grew and extended from use of Dust. The golden veins of cultivated Dust, like frozen rivers of precious metals, brought life to where there was none.

Anu grinned childishly. He quickly kicked off his shoes, little more than padded coverings. The cold metal stinging his feet and quickly warming from his appendages embrace. 'Wonder what the dirt feels like.'

The catapults began clicking again, one at a time with either the excited cheers or silent focus following. As his pad was activated the sense of belonging filled him for the briefest of moments. It had been sometime since he had experienced the sensation.

He genuinely smiled from euporphia as he was launched into the sky, to quickly descend in an arc into the green ocean of a forest.

][

Raf launched his grappler at a trunk of a tree some distance away from where he was going to land, the titan-coil being secured with a barbed harpoon and buried deeply into the trunk. The coil itself strained against the mass of a couple other trees, swinging the man around the base of the closest, heels skidding on the ground, detaching the harpoon with the secondary trigger, snapping the coil back intot the launcher as he rolled onto the ground and stood up.

He retrieved the harpoon, placing the gargantuan grappler onto a holster in between his shoulder blades. The Barian hunter pulled out a single pistol, loading the standard magazine of ammunition but covered the outlet of the weapon with a Dust cartridge that glowed a soft red.

He started north at a steady pace, ready to activate his semblance at the smallest sound. Which he did when he heard the screeching soar of one Yang flying overhead.

Light bent around every angle of Raf, making the background seem fore and only to where he stood. If he moved too fast, the effect would have difficulty keeping up and a higher chance of being detected. Which wouldn't be much of an issue if he was dealing with White Fang or humans, they were oblivious to it. What he didn't know was how Grimm would react if they saw the shimmer. He sucked at close quarters, something he knew the Grimm dominated in, preferring he let his fire loose at medium ranges. His pistols may have been heavily modified, but they really lost penetrating power over distance.

Raf was almost lost in the thoughts of his armory when he stopped when he heard the deep brass thunder of a sniper rifle not too distant from where he stood. 'Oh shit. Please don't let that be who i think it is.'

Almost like a cursed omen she flew out of the tall canopy and landed with a solid thump on the ground, sliding on her knees in feet as she scoped the area with her rifle.

'I can't be her partner if she doesn't see me!' He thought, sighing to himself. Bad choice. Her ears picked up on his deep outing of breath, twitching, searching for the source of the sound nearby.

'SHIT SHIT SHIT! JUST RUN YOU DAMN GIRL!' He yelled out mentally. He started slowly moving his feet, walking in a crab like fashion, keeping an eye on the predatory awareness of the last huntress he wanted to see today. 'Just...keep...moving.'

He laid his foot slowly.

*CRACK!*

'Oh fuck me.'

][

Rhaine hissed as she swung Romulus around and fired at the sound.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" The Barian son-of-a-bitch came out of nowhere, jumping back from the hole in the ground she created.

"God dammit! You go one way, i go the other! How could you fuck up your own plan?!" Stomping towards him in absolute rage.

"Because you weren't paying attention to where I was goin' you dumbass silver belly!" He cursed back. "If ya took that stick outta your mud hole, you could actually turn your head around!"

This 'banter' passed between them only lasted a second longer before they both heard movement and snapped weapons passed each other, looking for the source.

The dark haired shadows of Beowulfs, rage filled red eyes, gleaming teeth and claws. A pack had surrounded the duo.

"I'll get the five on the right, you get the two on the left." Raf whispered.

"Oh." She scoffed, "You're fighting? I had the impression you would sink away into the shadows I almost shot you in." She kept her rifle level with one hand, taking the other to the electro-knife, balancing the weapon on her wrist and elbow.

"Stop shaking, it's embarrassing." He retorted back. He didn't see her shaking, but he didn't know she actually was.

With one final loud curse, thy both started firing at the Grimm that had gathered to attack the hunters.

][

Romulus was a powerhouse, easily blasting the apart the head of one of the Grimm. It wasn't that she used any exotic ammunition or Dust enhancements, apart from the highly reactive powder to propel the slug, the shot itself is just EXTREMELY heavy. Which hurt the recoil. Which was why the knife was needed when the Grimm charged.

She had to swing Romulus out of the way, using the recoil to greater effect as the Grimm's claw cleaved downwards towards her. She pointed the knife up, digging into its palm and activating the weapon. The charge forced the beast back in a howl of pain, Rhaine taking Remus out of his cradle and firing a burst towards another Grimm near the one she stunned temporarily. Spraying its chest open in a shower of blood, bone and tissue mixed with pitch fur and whatever else Grimm are made of, before giving a single burst to the head of the unlikely score that practically stabbed itself with the knife.

On the opposite side, Ezekiel Raf took out his other pistol, already prepared with Wind Dust, though not exactly lethal can really push back a bastard when hit.

He fired Wind at one, pushing that Beowulf back and applying a fiery death to another. A good one-two combo. If the Grimm weren't smarter then they looked.

There was a moment of calm before they all rushed the pair.

"Come on! They wised up!" Raf wrapped an arm around Rhaines waist, bumping his face with her rifle. Targeting a tree some distance away, and snapping in its direction.

][

Priest slid out a knife, slamming into a tree trunk, skidding in a lop sided half circle before jumping off the other side and continuing in a 'branch hopping' fashion, before he dropped to the ground. He replaced the knife, continuing north at a very quick rate.

*Nervousness/doubt*

'I can take care of us. Don't be worried.' He reassured Shu.

*Begrudged correction*

It took him a moment to understand her. 'Ahhh you mean others we will form a pack with?'

*confirmation*

'I doubt id lead it. Ozpin at least knows my true nature, while all else probably know my... decisions in life. I am concerned not only for those I am officially with, but if my life, blood and effort can protect any in my vicinity, I will commit all three to the cause.'

*insult/selfish desire*

'I am not your true owner, Shu. The one that can harness your true potential is out there. Do not fear for my fate.'

Shu stopped speaking back after that.

Anu closed his eyes briefly, regretting the choice of words.

The emotional drama was cut short as he felt the presence of another nearby. He quickened his run towards the person, hoping for someone he was able to cooperate with easily.

He wasn't sure when the two locked eyes.

Shora held a bow, pointing a kind of energy bolt held by her right hand, the bow held tightly by the left. As she relented the bolt slowly, it dissipated. She nodded to Priest, unsmiling and very quickly said, "Good. Hope the next four years will be productive as partners."

"Eh me too." Priest tried not to sound negative, forcing a smile. THEN Shu started talking. By talking, more accurately would be laughing hysterically.

*comment of bad luck*

'She might be more than her first impression led on. I'm willing to hope so.'

*Condescending remark on the hope*

][

Review and favorite and stuff! :D

And as a little of piece of desert; i give you a new section of this fanfic called... WHY THE HELL NOT?

It's gunna be irregular, unpredictable and shan't restrain my or any others creative mind when it comes to this section! Why? Because Quantum Mechanics! It's happening somewhere XD

][][][

"No one is throwing punches while I'm around!" Yang pointed his finger at the Faunus with the giant sniper rifle. "'Cept me, got it?!"

"The gall." Rhan muttered to himself, folding his arms.

"First off..." Yang point to the Jahana chick, still smiling like an idiot in the airship, "What's her problem?"

The dark haired, red eyed woman was going to speak before being interrupted by a certain Faunus, "That... 'woman' hypno-" Being interrupted as Yang introduced his fist to the dog-man's face.

"You don't do two things to a lady; hit em or interrupt em. Do either, or god help you, both, I will be using your teeth in my shot gun shells!" Yang yelled down at him, blood dripping from his nose.

Priestess blinked, "My friend there is no need for violence. She is safe, she will wake from her stupor soon." Pointing at the blonde.

Yang grimaced, "But what did you do? Specifically?"

"Hypnosis. She felt ill from the trip and did it to prevent her from vomiting." Priestess grinned ashamedly.

][

Yes, that was a section of a past chapter which had characters gender bended.

Have a pleasant day! :D


	8. This can only end in FLEE!

**Chapter 8... I have nothing to say that's productive ^^' soooooooo history fact? Mayans decapitated their sacrificial victims, the Aztecs removed their hearts. [Cricket sounds]**

***ahem***

**Anyways, I lied I have at least one productive thing:**

**Anu's word 'Ihtah' is pronounced 'Ee-tah'. ^^'**

**I think that's enough rambling, ontothefictions!**

][

"Listen, I share your passion for the sciences... but please i would prefer we talk about something other than, uh well..." Priest rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"The Theory of how Grimm came here with Panspermia? What's the issue?" Shora asked, walking with Priest.

He honestly didn't have a clue what she was talking about. He doesn't even know how electricity works apart from a stray copper cord shocks you, or why it snows instead of rains. Besides, panspermia didn't really sound a... hygienic topic. "Grimm are Grimm, how they came here as doesn't matter, they changed so far they may not even seem a thimble of what they were prior to their arrival. It doesn't matter how they... committed their reproduction till this age."

Shora was more confused by what he said. Reproduce? I was speaking on how their ancestors got here via space rock.

"I am not talking about sex, if that's what you are implying." Shora shot back, feeling slightly impatient with his ineptitude.

This seemed to put him in a nervous humor even more, his face warming visibly, "What do you mean then?"

"I meant from outer space. That the Grimm are-" Shora was silenced by the rapid beeping of a device on her belt-link. She smiled, "Excellent. The detector works. I was worried how long it would have taken for the software to take hold."

Priest didn't have a hope of a whisper of what it was. It had the same metal case of a Scroll, save some antennae, machinery and apparatus were visible, opposed to the sleek and wisely shaped Scroll.

Shora stared at the screen, curious from where the beeping was coming from. She turned, pointing it at a direction and breathed a large gust from her nose when the beeping began to stop.

"What is that?"

"My Grimm detector." Without looking up. "Prototype." She turned again. "Grimm are like Dust."

Priest blinked, "Ihtah?"

"They are similar to Dust, in that if exposed to a certain form of low frequency ultra-sound..." Shuffled again, "they will quite literally vibrate at the quantum level. At least that's what the captive Grimm had done. Same with crystalized Dust."

"Truly? That's quite the qweer and fascinating discovery." He smiled.

She gave him a quick, questioning look. "Your speech of Remnatian is antiquated. I suggest lessons and tutoring."

"Oh." Priest rubbed his arm uncomfortably, moving the gauntlet to attend a particularly bad itch.

She shimmied to his direction and the device began beeping at a pace that 'rapid' would not quite define.

The two stared at one another.

Priest nervously asked, "Ihtah?"

Shora looked to the machine, then to Priest, then to the detector again. "If what my Grimm-Finder one-point-oh is telling me is true..." She looked up at him, "you're a Grimm."

He looked especially peeved as he asked meekly, "Ihtah?"

][

"Sooo Blake..." Ruby kicked a stone, "What's your weapon called?"

Blake wasn't phased by her childish ranting, "Keep focused, every sense must be used for finding Grimm."

Ruby nodded, smiling "Yeah, buuuuttt I still want that gun-swords name before we get all serious and stuff."

Blake gave a small sigh, "Gambol Shroud. A variant ballistic chain scythe."

Ruby was silent after that, trusting not to push her luck with her silent, professional partner.

][

"We haven't discovered every Grimm, and they do change with age. It isn't unfounded that you might be a Grimm that attained human form over centuries or even millennia." Shora continued. A part of her mental process said she was not approaching this detector as well as she should. It was a prototype after all and could just be detecting any form of quantum vibrations of a living being.

She turned the machine on herself and huffed in a mix of disappointment and relief that the machine began beeping rapidly.

Not AS rapidly mind you...

"It may have-" Shora was shoved out of the path of a large claw that would have easily taken her head with her Aura not active.

Both of Anus fists clenched around a throwing knife each as he slid one into the Ursa's passing wrist, a sharp twist with the knife in, certain bones, ligaments and tendons snapped, broke and tore as the Ursa was simultaneously reacting to the massive pain and need to attack the newest offend- the instinct was cut off as the opposite knife slid through the 'face' of the Grimm, avoiding the harden outer shell that is grown due to seniority. Anu jumped off the Ursa shoulder, skidding to a stop some meters away.

The top of the Ursa's head flopped off from the jaw, blood spurting and flowing from the severed section as it tumbled to the forest floor, twitching.

Anu turned around, scraping the blooded knives on the metal gauntlets, walking to the freshly dead Ursa.

Shora was shocked, in so many words. Though face was still quite plain, her mind was affront of a massive emotional and logical conflict.

Anu stared down at the corpse, his face hardened, scowling. Some would argue maybe a blink away from a snarl. "Shaji Min! Olfa-gan!" He yelled to the forest.

Almost like a retort for his words, a Hardback was rolling at an unreal pace towards Anu. He threw the two knives to the ground, bringing out the weapon at his waist forth. At first it looked like a clumsily made short sword, with a massive, fang like blade and a too short a handle for the weapon.

Priest heled the very end of the pummel and swung his arm to the side in a wide arc, the pummel extending in a flash.

The spear of the scholar, Thoth, was Anu's primary means of dealing with any adversary. A balanced, precise weapon, to disarm, dissuade and kill if necessary. The later most, these Grimm will be fully educated.

The Hardbacks 'grim' speed only seemed to increase as he brandished his spear, holding it in both hands at shoulder level, point focused on the adversary.

Shora quickly recovered from her bewildered state, preparing Trickster's Truth.

The Hardback closed, eye blinks times separating it from Anu.

Anu growled as he thrust forward, catching Grimm in the gut and pinning it to the ground.

Shora visibly gape at that. And that was an accomplishment.

The Grimm groaned pitifully and in pain as its life blood fled from its torso and quickly evaporated. Anu picked up one of the knives, slamming it into the side of the Grimms head, silencing it. Retrieving Thoth, he dashed from the Grimm to Shora's side, holding her under the arm. "Are you alright?" His face had returned to the man she initially met.

Shora nodded, fighting off a slight sense of fear she received from him. "No injuries."

"Good. Because this situation warrants only one course..." He gestured to the shadows that moved behind trees, eyes glaring red. "Run. Very fast." Before speeding off himself.

][

"Listen you whiney snow flake!" Yang pointed to Weiss, "If you don't start using that brain in that skull of yours, I will literally throw you back to Ozpin and Goodwitch!"

"Well sorry for not attacking out of turn and setting a whole forest on fire!" Weiss yelled back, "If anyone needs to use a brain around here it's you! You lose a lock of hair and you blaze a damn path through Grimm we didn't need to fight and SET A FOREST ON FIRE!"

][

**Sooooo I just realized something; there's ALOT of OC stories of Rwby, most have appeared fairly recently. I admit, it is intimidating. I desire for this story to have attention in order for me to improve with writing, so my fiction of the future that i will mold of my own will be effective, well written and moving of the mental and emotional level.**

**I like wise found that the Rwby universe was open enough for expansion that inserting story elements of my own were beautifully compatible.**

**Also, when it comes to fanfiction site itself, I'm probably even dumber when it comes to how it works. I know there are reviews n favorites, and it takes me a good damn half hour to remember how to upload a chapter, but other than that, not a clue on how to interact or be interacted with by readers :/**

**Any help in these matter would be appreciated :) pleasant day everyone!**


	9. Cry or Laugh it off

**Rollthestories dammit!**

**][][**

"Oh come ON!" Raf scoffed, "That was completely kosher, I didn't grope a breast or nothing! I was a complete gentleman." He muttered to the side, "Not like you got any boobs anyhows." He immediately regretted his big mouth.

She slapped him across the face so hard he spun where he stood. Grasping hos cheek, as red as a baboons behind. "I'll have you know, i could find a sanctionable reason to kill you at this moment without any sort of backlash! One less Copper rider to worry about in this damn world!" Rhaine barred her teeth at him.

"To hell with you!" Raf spat back, "I ain't just a god damn copper rider you shrew bitch!" He pointed, "I'm more than you'd make me out to be! If I was just some dumbass ship mate with a grudge against atlas, I woulda let your ass be turned into meat by those Grimm! I deserve your respect for pulling your ass outta the fire!"

Despite her not trying to, his demand for deference made him recall Priest's 'order'. She hissed away angry words she had built up to reply with, "Ahh!" She dissatisfyingly yelled out, "FINE! Let's just get this over with!"

Raf retracted his finger and stared, slightly rattled by her capitulation, "What? What'd I say? Some magic password? I already thought up this whole song and dance and even then I knew it probably wouldn't work on someone like you."

"I woke up on the lazier side of the bed? Does it matter?"

][][[[

Good witch fumed as she stared at the scroll showing Anu, the Demon and the Valkyrie girl Shora sprinting threw the forest. She kept her calm, calculating demeanor in front of the Professor however. "What decision brought you to allowing perhaps the greatest mass murderer of our age into this school?"

Ozpin looked at his own scroll, sipped his mug.

"It shouldn't matter how 'bad' he feels. He's killed hundreds, of which included five senators and their families in Atlas." The Huntress continued, switching her Scrolls monitor to Rhaine and Ezekiel.

"He wasn't the only part in the 'Dust Uprising." Ozpin put his scroll in the pocket inside his jacket, retracting his cane, "I do not deny what he has done, nor do I condone or excuse it. He is here not just to train as a hunter, or for acts of redemption." He sipped his mug. "Anu Priest. He's here for a beginning of something. What, I have no idea, but its best he's here fighting with us then not."

Goodwitch sighed, mumbling, "If someone in this school is harmed bec-"

"I'm certain he will hold himself responsible. If it is his fault, Gylanda." He smiled back to her, "For now, forget the Demon. Look at the students." Taking out the Scroll once more with his cane still in hand.

Goodwitch begrudgingly nodded, "These two are going to be a victim to each other. This Rhaine of the Altasian High Guard, and Ezekiel from the Barian Refuge. We should partner them to separate teams, there will be too much bad blood between the two for cooperation."

"Roads to peace are often unpleasent and uncomfortable." Ozpin shrugged, switching his Scroll to Ruby and Blake.

Goodwitch rolled her eyes, "Peace can't be made when the negotiators are dead."

Ozpin had to shrug a shoulder in a sort of surrender, "Perhaps."

][[]][

"I... can we slow down? I can't keep this pace!" Shora yelled ahead to Anu, who quickly looked back to her then behind her. She was sweating bullets at this point, a mix fear and adrenaline keeping her at arm's length, but even that form of endurance drew thin.

"Ill carry you, we have to keep going." He dropped back behind her, before she could protest, he quickly lifted her, carrying her on his shoulder, launching forward at a speed which seemed multiple times faster than their previous momentum.

He muttered lowly, "Ihtah?" As he stared ahead, "Skinah!" He threw both himself and Shora up several feet, narrowly dodging a massive, exoskeletal claw.

Shora happened to have a good view as they passed, the mass itself was covered in flora, moss and vines that spread over it from long dormancy. Seven glowing red-yellow eyes, the eighth was pierced, its light dim. She could've sworn she saw someone in gold before he or she vanished into the thick foliage.

"We are near the artefacts! There's a clearing up ahead!" Anu explained. He didn't mention how he 'smelt' several others gathered in the place as well.

"Good. Can you let me down?" Shora's voice was edged with annoyance.

Anu stopped a moment to do just that, "Apologies, it was a moment of-"

A shrilling cry echoed as a lizard the size of a man covered in white scales, briefly changing out of a light green, appeared out of the brush behind him. Anu was in the midst of turning around, drawing Thoth.

He felt the air being sucked in to his side in the briefest of moments, where Shora was. Before he could even guess at the cause; both he and the Grimm were sent flying by Shora's Semblance, Repulse.

"AHHHH! Can everyone chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!" Yang demanded, flames erupting from her hair, eyes almost turning red from her fury.

Fate responding, Anu was yelling pitifully as he and this strange shimmer were sent flying out of the tree line and colliding into the ruin behind the assembled Hunters, a portion of it crumbling from the impact. Before they could respond, there was a high pitched, inhuman squeal followed by the slicing of a blade into flesh in the dust and gravel filled air.

"HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!" Shora declared as she ran out of the trees with multiple Beowulfs in tow. She was answered by multiple sniper shots to her assailants, dismembered by the barrage. Rhaine sighed as she laid Romulus down, her armor was still caked in mud, as was her 'partner'.

][][]

"Are you alright?"

Anu groaned from his small circle of stone made from the grey ruin. "Better than my friend here." Denoting the pale-lizard chameleon Grimm that was stabbed threw its chest with a spear.

"Whooooa where'd that come from?" Ruby asked in a quiet awe.

Anu at first thought she meant the Grimm, but was shocked when she retrieved Thoth and held in inspection. "Its light, practically nothing." Twirling it around her form like the so many maneuvers she breathes with Crescent Rose. "No gun? How do you attack from range?" She eyed it again, "What's this stuff?" Picking at red crystal formation at where the spear met the blade-tip.

Anu gasped sharply in pain as he stood stood up. "Me."

Ruby looked to him confusedly.

"I think seven or so cups of my blood converted into Dust." Anu held out his less sore hand for Thoth, waiting for her to give it back rather than take it.

Her curiously was quickly replaced with fear as she pointed at his opposite arm. "Holy god! Is your Aura working!?"

"Ihtah?" He looked to the flange and saw a bone jutting out of the top of the arm, the robe torn and soaking the blood. "Oh dear."

"'Oh dear'!? That needs to be treated!" Ruby cried out.

Anu wasn't paying much attention after her information. He slammed a fist repeatedly into the exposed bone, shoving it back into his body.

Ruby was sputtering and waving her hands at the sight.

Anu rolled and moved his arm around, placing the pain aside for the moment as he carefully analyzing the repair. He smiled to Ruby, "I will be fine, I assure-"

"Ah-hem!" Blake coughed into her fist loudly, gaining their attention. She must've saw the incident as well, looking particularly green.

"Eek! Sorry Blake! Anus okay!" Ruby chirped.

Yang yelled, "Great!" and then something about 'dying together'.

][][]

"We got the artefacts, we just need to get clear and get to the extraction point some distance from here." Ruby explained to the assembled teams.

"I second the idea of not getting eaten by Grimm." Jaune Arc raised his hand.

"I also concur little lady but..." Raf interjected, "From what I's saw of here to there; we ain't gunna be swimming down the waves all smooth like. That temple looked old. I'd guess by the cultures' nearby 'n gone, it was used for ritual sacrifice." He paused, "Which will also lead to Grimm make the place to home 'n all. So lots of Grimm. And bigger, older, smarter Grimm."

Ruby frowned, thinking.

"Ihtah?" Priest asked out loud as he stared at the cloudy sky. "Uh-oh..."

Weiss asked the man, "What's the problem? Rain?"

"Darti-Muun." Anu sighed. "A flock of maybe three or so females." Looking at the heiress worried.

"Darty what?" Rhaine asked impatiently.

"Uhhh... I don't think there's a good translation..." Priest thought. "Flying deathers? Death flyers?" He shrugged, "Big flying bird Grimm? Shoot harpoons made of feathers?"

"Nevermore?" The ensemble asked.

Anu rubbed his neck and chuckled nervously, "Hehe you tell me. Does that-" pointing up, "look like it belongs to them?"

There were at first small bars of black falling from the clouds in unpredictable patterns, the sources far above the greying weather cover. Ren was the first to say, "Looks like feathers..."

The entire group seemed to get even more desperate morale wise after he said it out loud.

"Doesn't matter." Ruby declared quietly, "We swing, we hit, we sever! And I say we hit these bastards head on with everything we got!" She declared with more gusto and confidence.

Most of the group was quieted.

"Hey, I'm all for kicking 'em strait in the teeth, I'm in!" Yang walked over to her sisters side, "Besides wouldn't let my cutey Ruby alone now of all times would I?" Bear hugging the crimson girl for a moment.

This seemed to cause a domino effect, as one after the other they agreed to the plan, unable to conceive of another that led to victory.

"Hell, wasn't planning on livin' long anyways." Raf agreed, smiling. He slapped Rhaine on her armored posterior, making her jump slightly in surprise. "Come on, could be fun."

Rhaine hissed her agreement, readying Romulus. "Fine. But I WILL shoot you if you touch me again."

Anu was silently observing the mass with a smile, very glad of the outcome. The teams were formed up and they all ran towards the main ruin. Priest thought of that line Ruby said however, finding it strangely inspiring.

'We swing, we hit, we sever.'

Indeed, little Rose. Smiling a bit broader.

][][][][

Big combat part next! It's gunna be bigger and badder than the conflict with the Nevermore, there's gunna be three of them working as a team, Beowulves, a scorpion thing, as well as a unnamed and unseen Grimm that's acting as the kinda 'hub' of the Grimm in the local area. Sorta like a coordinator, not an Ant Hive or anything.

Also, Anu's symbol is based off a Desert Lilly, with six yellow petals around a red triangular center, and is very geometric in shape. Rhaine's is an artistic dogs with the sun behind it, Raf's is a sailboat against a depiction of the broken moon, and Shora's is a simplistic version of the Golden Ratio, Phi, sort of like a sea shell. I just realized every character has their own symbol so had to accommodate them :)

Tschüss!

][][][


	10. Blood, Blades and what the hell is that?

Sorry about my absence, I've been busy. And lazy. In that order haha

Also; I am perhaps the farthest thing of a connoisseur when it comes to Manga or anime, most of the stuff that's Scratch is more than likely inspired by other media. The only anime I can say I'm familiar with is the Fate/Stay series but mostly due to me being a big nerd when it comes to classical literature, ancient history and religious mythology, and sooooo much of this fanfic is influenced by it. I'm mixing in what elements of RWBY i saw desirable and well off.

Also the temple is more like a giant open ceiling castle, with the first level being from the battle with the Nevermore in RWBY, with the second being on a plateau and is very Goth, Castleviania eques.

To Hellhoundz6: Thank you very much, I hope this story will reach the stature of praise as well :) thank you again for the review!

Hopeyouenjoy, letsgetiton!

][

"Hard fire, left, NOW!" Raf ordered Shora, Rhaine and Anu. Shora's bow seemed to be more like an anti-personel weapon, its arrow when it pentrates flesh, explodes, spreading the heated gas to nearby targets. Rhaines rifle was a powerhouse, penetrating and absolutely destroying incoming Beowulves. Anu's knives had to he carefully placed due to limited ammunition, but when they hit a target, it was like a nail rifle, either pinning the target against something near, or going through the target altogether, severing spines and necks in the process. Raf laid down his own fire when he thought enemies were in necessary range, their goal was to keep cover for the others as they moved into the temple, securing the entrance from further Grimm reinforcing it. Which wouldn't be too hard, if the damn thing was practically floating on paper sticks and completely exposed to circling Nevermores.

"Shora!" Raf yelled, as a Nevermore made another pass.

"Acknowledged." She held her hands together, watching the Grimm prepare a volley of feather-spears. It cried out its attack, sensing the projectiles forth. Shora grunted, pushing the condensed air against them. Most scattered from the Semblance, however, luck was usually on their side with those that weren't deflected.

"Move up!" Raf yelled as loud as he could to the forest line. The Hunters to be all charged out of the forest like bats outta hell, in his opinion, flocking to the temples first 'level'.

][

"At least we won't get bored anytime soon!" Yang yelled as she slammed her fist into a Beowulf, the explosion spreading gore over a good portion of her face and top, but none of (thankfully) got in the hair.

"Stop joking and kill these things already!" Wiess yelled back as her saber illuminated a Repeller glyph to counter a barrage of Feather-Spears.

"Ahhh! Buy a sense of humor Ice Queen!" She roared, slamming her fist into another enemy.

][

"Ohgodohgodohgoooddd!" Jaune yelled out as he was chased by an Ursa across a bridge.

Pyrrah flew down like a guardian spirit, slamming her spear into the Ursa's neck, the being sliding as it fell. Still chasing Jaune from death it looked like.

][

Raf declared, "Forward! Double time!"

Anu took the order to heart and was already at the mouth of the temple before the others were little over half way there. He used this to measure what's currently happening. The dark haired one with the pink highlight as well as the red head... red head?

'No no no! Avoid! Block! Now's not the time for Recall!'

... Ruby and Blake were double baking against a Claw-Eater. With a Death-Flyer about to pass!

Anu growled as he ran as fast as his legs could take him. "Run for cover!" He yelled.

He knew Raf was yelling an order at him, but the instinct to protect was louder in his ears then his voice.

Blake turned seeing Anu dashing towards them.

The Death Flyer sent its volley, the Claw-Eater shimming to the side to avoid being hit.

Blake set a shadow clone, hoping it will absorb one.

Ruby was fast but she won't be able to avoid the analogical carpet bomb.

"Ehhh this is going to be painful.' He thought.

][

"What the-?!" Ruby asked urgently as she was shoved down to the ground, Crescent Rose knocking to her side, her arms placed in a lock hold to the grass. She stopped thinking when she saw Anu hovering over her. It must've happened in a very short time, but it felt much longer. His face looked very... peaceful. Almost smiling but not, his red eyes locked firmly onto her grey orbs. "An-?"

He gasped sharply as the sound of flesh and bone being torn startled Ruby out of her momentary muse. She looked down to see a Nevermore's feather had been impaled threw Anu's abdomen, blood pouring from the wound onto her own belly. She looked back up urgently and saw him gritting his teeth, caked in blood. He grunted as he fell off of her to his side, holding the end of the spear.

Ruby quickly got up and called, "HELP!" No no no no. she repeated mentally.

Anu hissed as he held the breach on his back, "It hit my spine. It will take a moment to..." He yelled out in pain as he pulled the spear out, blood gushing from the void created. "Heal." A heart beat after, Blake appeared, she held Anus arm as she lifted him.

"You two hold on!" Ruby forced herself between Blake and Anu, holding them with both arms as she activated her Semblance. The massive increase in weight cause the effect to be distorted and inaccurate, catapulting the trinity towards the temple in a blur of rose pettles, but landed skidding across the grass a small distance from the target.

Rhaine yelled out, "Messiah, what the hell-? Why isn't your Aura working asshole?!" She demanded from Priest as she rushed to his side, weapon drawn towards the Scorpio.

"Don't... have an Aura..." He muttered as he tried standing up, wobbling.

][

"Shora! Can you accelerate projectiles? Narrow your Repulse?" Raf asked.

"Yes."

Raf reached onto his belt and pulled out three packs of D-90 explosive mines. "Can you get one of those flying bastards as they pass?"

Shora gave a very small but somewhat chilling smirk, "Positive."

"It's time for some high explosive ordnance!" He threw all three of them at the Valkyrie, who's hands touched from the tighter air compression.

A Nevermore screeched as its pass closed in on them.

"Eat shit 'n die fucker!" Raf gave the Grimm bird the birdy as Shora used her Semblance to cannon the mines into the Nevermores' face.

The entire left side of the head exploded in a shower of gore, immediately grounding the Grimm, toppling side over side.

"That's what I call a big bada boom honey bunny!" Raf gave a triumphant thumbs up after he pointed to Shora, still smiling.

][

"We gotta move!" Blake stated as she and Rhaine carried Anu across the bridge. "We still have another two-"

The entire landscape vibrated with a low, guttural rumble. "What's that?" Ruby asked.

Anu stated in between breaths, "A response." He stood up more, his inner iris glowing slightly, "He thinks another Grimm is challenging his territory."

"He?"

][

Intruders. Producers and ... another. Two another's, scent too odd to say what-other are.

Fatigue gripped its sore, long dormant muscles as it crawled up the Ego Nexus it nested inside.

Feed soon... kill challenger... stronger soon...

][]]]

"EVERYONE ONTO THE SECOND LEVEL!" Jaune yelled as he looked down at the pillars. The mass the moved was monstrous, clinging to the mountain side, shadows hiding its true features from view. But it was BIG.

][][[[[[

"Go! I'll catch up!" Anu told Blake and Rhaine. The later hesitated only a moment before doing what he said.

Blake however, "You've had a SPINAL injury! You ha-"

"Go!"

The groan-roar thundered again, far closer as one of its massive, armored, three digit claws gripped a support tower, pulling itself up.

Blake and Anu stared in complete horror and awe as its head was revealed, pulling itself out of the shadows.

'It's like a Great-Great Grandfather of Beowulves...' Anu thought as his and Blake's face were soon covered in beads of sweat.

The 'Kurgan'* as Blake thought she would call it; roared at one of the circling Nevermores, before grasping it with its opposite claw, the Hawk-Grimm crying out in vain as its head and good portion of its torso was messily devoured in a single bite.

During this brief and gruesome debacle; Anu and Blake were running as fast as they could, fear giving fleet to their pace.

The assembled hunters on the second level of the temple over looked the duo as they sped across the bridge, some cheering for their comrades, others preparing for fighting the greatest monsters they ever laid eyes upon.

'We won't make it...' Anu seemed to be a cynic this day. If an honest one.

He felt the Ego in the area stir, being drawn to the Grand Beowulf. Anu looked back and saw the beast's spinney spurs gathering...

The white spine 'mane' crackled with energy, stirring the cloud cover from the activity as a bolt of searing hot white plasma being caught in its boney crest.

Anu stared dumbfounded, 'The Grimm of this land can summon Thunder*?' His thought process was correlating the new information. That bastards attack is going to be FAST but it will take a time for it to recharge.

Its gaze shifted to the pair.

Anu gritted his teeth as he grasped whatever he could on Blake, the woman yelling as she was lifted, twirled in a circle and thrown up towards the temples inhabitants. 'At least my arms work fine. My legs won't be able to recover in time to avoid its attack.' He hoped that Thoths Semblance will make up for his lacking of such abilities as he stood a moment and turned towards the mass of death. "Adal-ima aveck." He said quietly as he swiftly deployed his spear and pointed it towards the Grimm.

The Grimm huffed from its nostrils, almost scoffing at the challenge.

][

"What the hell is he doing?!" Raf demanded shortly before Rhaine standing beside him was glomped by 150 pounds of Belladonna.

Ruby was already running towards him with her Semblance active.

The Kurgan roared at the man and just meters away, the gathered lightning struck. The spear he held seemed for the briefest moment to have... absorbed it? The lightning circling around the blade end, turning red. The explosion was powerful enough that it blasted Ruby, the Spear and Anu back with enough force that it made the younger girl to see stars, but she wasn't sure if it was due to her use of Semblance. Ruby landed at the mouth of the bridge, the spear penetrating the stone ground, crackling with red lightning.

She saw Anu fall into the abyss below, his sword, blasted from his bearing almost following him to his demise. She cried out even with the lack of breath, tears gathering in her eyes, "ANU!"

][][

My attempt at a cliffhanger XD

I hope you enjoyed, favorite and review if this is to your liking and if you have constructive criticism or words of wisdom and kindness :)

Pleasant day!

*1. Kurgan is a reference to Highlander film, the main baddie was called the Kurgan; a mountain of meat, wore black leather, spikes and an assembly required claymore. Big, dark and screams 'I'm going to eat your still beating heart.'

2\. To the Shira-Kai, Thunder and Lightning are the same thing, the sight of a bolt of plasma from the weather is thunder, and the sound that it makes is still thunder. Make sense? X)


	11. Talk Grimmy to Me

**Hey! Here's a joke; why do they call it the dark ages?**

**...**

**Cause there were so many knights!**

**:D**

***cricket sounds***

**TothefictionSteven!**

**][][][[**

Anu huffed, "You might as well tell me now, before i get cross, Priest."

Priest, despite his usual attitude, was deathly serious. "There are some things you must learn on your own. But..." The man's black Fennec ears twitched, "To have the Akuma, to know the Song of the Black Heart, is to acknowledge consequence and simultaneously reject the heart's will, to know how, nay, desire a situations ends, and despite how brutal, merciless or monstrous, you carry it out, knowing also you could have avoided the ending."

Anu thought of what his father told him. "Why would one desire a 'monstrous' end, knowing also difference could be made?"

Priest closed his eyes a moment, before looking to the manor Priest, his wife, three daughters, a son and lastly his adopted elder child Anu, called home. It was simple, a vague carved pyramid that seemed to be coming out of a mountain side, the windows glowing from slow-oil candles, the smell of fresh oxen and the tang of wine in the air. It was already past sundown, and he and Anu only just arrived back at their home from their prior duty.

"It... is beyond me. Though if I had to gamble..." He stared a moment longer at the manor. "Bah." He smiled, "Enough questions for the evening." He returned to his usual 'Happy Sage' persona. "Time for food, Anubis."

Anu rolled his dull gold eyes at his father, his grey jackal ears leaning to the sides more, denoting a great deal of annoyance, "Do you enjoy leaving queries on such a note?"

Priest chuckled, walking to his son's side and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, "Certainly. But only because you don't know the answer."

][][][[[[

'Shit... shit! We're all going to die!' Jaune shook in his armor, his sword arm convulsing compared to it.

The group seemed to be silenced in realization; this WASNT something they could just retry at and hope that the grade was good. This 'school' wasn't a school to them anymore. Someone just died in front of them and it could very well be anyone of them next.

"FORM UP!" Ezekiel Raf ordered, "Guys with big guns to the rear! Fighters to the front! Move it!"

They all snapped out of their daze from the command, doing more or less what he said. Jaune still shaking as he was flanked by Pyrra and Nora.

"Everyone! Hit a center point of that big bastard!"

"Its covered in plates!" Rhaine stated.

"Those things ain't invincible. We hit a point hard enough, often enough, we'll make him bleed damn good!" Raf retorted. Rhaine seemed backed down after that, looking down her sights. She stopped shaking. Which was a good thing. She was thoroughly, down to the center of her soul TERRIFIED though. 'It... it killed Priest! One shot! What the hell can we do against that?!'

"Aim for his head! Everyone! FIRE!"

All the hunters with any ranged weapon to speak of unloaded their ammunition at the Kurgan. To say the barrage damaged the evolved Grimm would be a bit of an understatement. The Shell the Grimm grow was tough, tougher then steel in some cases, but far from indestructible. In fact, when the head case of the being finally cracked and shattered, it took large chunks of skin, muscle and sinew withe, forcing the Über-Beowulf to howl in pain.

"Did we do it?" Someone, Raf thought maybe Ren, asked.

"No..." Raf sighed. "Broke his nose maybe, but i think it made him angrier."

The Grimm recovered a moment later, while everyone was reloading. The larger chunks of missing tissue seemed to grow back in eye blinks, giving a disgusting display of fresh scar tissue and covered in bright red blood.

It roared at the group, jumping from its rebound to the second floor, claws slashing at the retreating offenders.

"Ahhh!" Ruby war cried as she charged at the Kurgan, aiming for his claws. Her speed afforded momentum, though accuracy was often an issue, but her rage gave focus on what she was aiming, the knuckle that separates the clawed plates, unprotected. Crescent Rose sliced through the flange, the dug in finger still protruding out of the solid stone as its hand was pulled away sharply and blood sprayed from the separation of the finger.

The group saw the moment of attacking its opposite hand but before most got close, the skies darkened once more, as lightning stirred. The plasma circled its mane, hovering steadily over its massive maw, an orb of awe inspiring destructive power.

It directed its eyes to the Producer that took a part of itself.

Ruby managed to spot the shift in its gaze as it prepared an attack. Ruby gasped before dashing out of its view, the place she once was, now a smoldering crater.

'This things gotta have a weakness! We can't chip it away with bug bites when it can heal like that.' Ruby cursed mentally.

Almost like a miracle in disguise; the 'Chang-Chang!' of Raf's duel pistols fired away at the head of the beast, the Fire-Dust tempered ammunition striking it in the eye, where it screamed and cradled the burnt orange-red organ. Blood, brighter then red, poured from the wood as it clawed the burnt flesh. Ruby didn't think of herself as bright, or smart, and she thought it was mainly due to her Semblance making her thinking faster as she saw the attack. 'Why was it scratching at a burn when it would heal?'

"ANYONE WITH FIRE ELEMENTAL DUST, LIGHT IT UP!" Ruby ordered.

[][]]

"Oda! They figured out one part without me. I actually feel proud for them." Anu smiled as he looked on from the abyss, his eyes glowing red, and hand on now-found Shu.

*comment of laziness*

"I'm not lazy, I'll have you know!" Priest felt strangely sore about that insult. "They needed to fight something like this without something like me. They NEEDED to know they could do it."

*another comment of laziness*

Anu Priest growled lowly at that. He was sure it was due to his Akuma's influence however, not him actually being angry. The Ego-Focus enhanced Sensory Perception as well as the other things ancient Akuma users are famous for, but made his emotions, specifically his Excess: Rage, more unpredictable. Not that Shu was moved in the slightest. She was stubborn like her progenitor like that.

"But... You may have a slight point." He moved his left leg around a couple steps, "Besides, needed a time to recover from that Spear. You know i can take blunt trauma like a strong wind, but piercing weapons can easily penetrate my iroh-hyde."

*agitation at procrastination/ desire for battle*

"Sometimes I wonder who the bloodthirsty one of this partnership is." Anu shook his head, smiling as he hopped, climbed and jumped against the side of the abyss, the towers and what could support him in his ascension.

][][[[[

The Kurgan pounded its fist as it tried to kill the wretched Producer that tried to ride it. It was a beast of rage, but somehow the giggling monstrosity mounting it and yelling 'Gidiup!' pushed it far beyond that.

][][[[]]]

"NORA!" Both Ren and Shora screamed as the giddy red head launched herself away from the oncoming fist with a smash of her hammer, catapulting herself away.

Weiss saw an opportunity, forming a glyph under its hand, forcing it to stay as it is with a practiced flick of her hand, before covering it with a hill of ice.

"YANG!"

"Ja vohl!" She hopped over the pale heiress, her gauntlets spinning, and hair glowing with flame as she slammed her fists into the iceberg, smashing the conjoined mass, hand 'n all.

"Oh dear..." A voice stated from off the side. Anu was leaning lazily on the edge, watching the Kurgan's shock. "That must've been terribly painful."

The ones nearby, notably Ruby, Ren, Yang, Weiss and Blake stared at the man with shocked, gaping mouths.

"Ah! That reminds me!" Anu hopped up from the edge, running to the destroyed bridge and retrieving Thoth, still energetic with dancing, crimson lightning. "Sorry about the wait, it was dark down there, I had to find my sword and i banged my knee, and then-"

"ANU!" Ruby yelled out.

"Ihtah?" He asked questioningly.

"Y-y-y exploded! Fell into that!" She pointed. "H-how?!" She was caught between the warm and cold water of startlement and complete joy.

"Oh..." He rubbed his head, "Can't really recall..." He rubbed his chin next, "After Thoth caught the thunder, and the explosion to me kind of put me in an odd humor."

Yang cat whistled, "I think she's more wondering how that robe of yours is still on that rockin' bod."

Anu blinked and turned his head, then looking down at his form. The top part of his robes, including his shirt underneath were nonexistent cinders, barely seen on his skin, the only notable section that can been seen as fairly intact was the part of his sleeves from his left elbow down, literally hanging by strings.

His lower section was a completely different story though, his sash was torn, burnt mostly off, and his leggings fabric-belt had melted off in the explosion as well, and he was curious also to the physics responsible to his un-nude state.

He finished the analysis with a shrug, "Questions for later. Answers for now though;..." He pointed at the Kurgan, its hand partially regrown, "How do we kill that class of Grimm?!"

The rest gathered at the question, "My homeland was full of Grimm like this! The two things that put these guys in the sand for sure were a disheartening strike or separating the head from the beast!"

They all looked curiously on, "Now, next question:..." He smiled, "Is everyone here familiar with the term 'Guillotine'?"

END OF THIS CHAPTER

]]]][[]

EXTRAZ:

"Wait!" Ruby held up both of her hands. "What are your Semblances exactly?"

Raf swung his pistols around into his holsters, "Bendin' light. Sorta like invisibility, but if i get all too quick, my shape can be spotted."

Shora nodded, "Repulse. I take air, condense it, and push it out."

Rhaine scoffed, "Why should I tell you?"

Ruby shrugged, "I asked? It won't hurt knowing your strengths and weaknesses."

She rolled her eyes, "OBVIOUSLY it would."

Ruby sighed at the reply before nervously turning to Anu. "A-and you?"

"Oh, me?" He asked before flexing his arms up, the bottom of his robes finally falling down to the floor. "Fanservice."

Ruby turned, well, ruby before her nose erupted blood and she fainted.

Yang was throwing Lien bills at him, Blake was drooling slightly, Weiss turned red, Shora took pictures with her Scroll (for science), and Rhaine turned around and stomped off.

[[][][]]]

**Ahahahaha! I laughed way too much at making that part, I'm not sure why it hits my funny bone. Anyways, review if ya have criticism or words to help, favorite if ya like it, follow if ya want more. Pleasant day!**


	12. Because Guillotines are Awsome

**Greetings humans! Hope you all are having a pleasant day, if not, I hope this fiction can alleviate your troubles, if momentarily :)**

**Charge! For glory! For fanfiction!**

][]]]]

Rhaine groaned, "Do i really have to do this?" Her ears were down in hesitancy, "I mean, can't we cushion her fall?"

"No, what we can prepare won't soften the impact. It could kill her." Anu explained. He already had his last knife ready, but he wasn't happy about injuring Rhaine either.

Rhaine sighed, before holding her hand to him after taking off the glove. "Do it qui- ahhh!" She yelled out when Anu slid his knife over her bare palm. "Let me prepare first!" As she swung her opposite fist into his face.

][][]]]

"So how do we get him over here? Bait?" Ruby asked as she cradled Crescent Rose.

"Nope! Even better." Anu slight purple lips smiled before closing his eyes. While the others were prepared for the ambush, in their positions threw out the temple, Ruby, Blake and Rhaine witnessed something... almost disturbing.

First, Anu's eyelids turned black, the pigment quickly changing, following off the edge of his eye, and tapering off both of the corners into blocks. Then he opened his eyes, at first they were only glowing a bit, but then the pupil grew to the size of little bigger then pinpricks, a circle of black schellera circling the engrossed iris, that slowly dimmed. He stopped smiling after it, "With my Akuma, I can take control of the beasts mind and make him walk here of his own apparent volition."

The partners, Blake and Ruby looked both peeved of curiosity and estranged by the sight. The one in red spoke, "W-what is that? Your Semblance?" When she looked at the eyes, she was reminded of her dog Zwei, of all things. His eyes seemed... empathic like a dogs, even while he himself seemed... rigid.

He shook his head, for some reason Anu seemed more severe, serious, and not nearly as jovial as he normally is. "It is an Ego-Discipline. I utilize the power of mind and emotion in order to improve the abilities of my body and will." His eyes quickly shifted to the other hunters in the area, making sure the plan was correctly arranged. "Get in position. This will end soon."

][]]]]]

The evolved Beowulf twisted its renewed appendage around its socket, refreshed it its return. It felt fury at having to be forces back into the far side of its Nexus by the Producers. If he had a pack, and he was alpha, he would have been torn apart by his coterie from the relent.

Its gaze dragged to the over side of the Nexus, growling lowly. Its piercing, predatory stare was halted aa it met the equally threatening gaze of... another. Before it knew it, the growling stopped, despite the need to and its muscles numbed.

][]]]

'Come. You must be here.' Anu mentally stated, his Ego manipulating the sensory input of his prey.

He found it more difficult then he thought however. It's been an age since he was this weak with Akuma. It wasn't the fact the beast's mind or will was strong, it was the fact of how massive it was. A bead of blood flowed from his nose, followed by another small river coming from the corner of his mouth. The pain was... indescribable but manageable. His healing abilities were taxed to its limits as the nerves in his body, mostly threw his chest and the back of his mouth were crystalized into Dust, before shattering, fragmenting in the area. As the Kurgan crawled from the opposite side of the chasm to the other, the chance of nerve damage climbed closer to his eyes.

He gasped lightly as a tear of blood came from his right eye.

][][]]]

"Messiahs freckled ass cheeks, he's fucking doing it..." Raf stared in awe.

The Kurgan clawed up to the edge of the temple, body leaning in, neck fully exposed.

"NOW!"

][]]]

Weiss first appeared, stabbing her rapier into the ground near the Kurgan's hands. Ice crackling over both of them, crawling down its arms.

Ruby, Nora, and Shora appeared as the giggly twin launched the trio in the air over the Grimm. At the same time, Rhaine slid under the Kurgan, swiping her bloodied hand under it as much as she could.

Shora charged her repulse at Ruby's feet, before letting the condensed stream of air loose. It would have been uncontrollable if Weiss didn't quickly align a row of her own glyphs. Ruby yelled out, mostly from her anger rather than fear as she soared downwards towards the Grimm, firing her weapon behind her for more speed. As she came closer, she started twisting her body around in a dizzying fast circle.

Rhaine grunted, placing both hands on the stone floor some meters away.

Crescent Rose struggled as it was forced threw the Grimm's hardy flesh and iron like bone, but it severed all in its path, spraying glowing crimson as its head was cut from its neck, mixing with the path of rose pettles.

Ruby disappeared into the stone, before launching out into the sky where Rhaine was. Her speed, despite its high intensity as she fell, diminished significantly as she rose from the floor, before she landed safely, scythe on shoulders.

There was a momentary lull to sound, not even the wind was hearable threw the ancient temple.

"FUCK YEAH!" Raf threw his fist in the air.

Everyone else started either cheering for Ruby or sighing in relief.

Ruby felt almost put off from the mass attention, but smiled victoriously.

"Can we go back to Beacon now?" Jaune whined, still grinning, hands on knees.

Anu grit his teeth as he desperately tried not to cry out in pain or fall to his knees. His breathing was heavy, but from the lack of stress of Ego with his Akuma, he could finally heal fully and not deal with damage control. Holding his right eye, he laughed lightly with relief, walking to Ruby, whom was being bear hugged by Yang and pat on the back by Pyrra and Raf. "I have to agree with Mr. Arce in that regard."

Blake held him by the arm that he used to nurse his eye with a very worried expression. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing I won't recover from." He smiled at her, closing both eyes.

She bit her lip before holding his wrist. "Let me see."

He sighed, letting her take his hand away. His eyes were normal again, save for his injured eye, the schelra was a deep red from the blood that managed to breach his actual eye, while the life fluid flowed freely from his eyelid. "Oh... " she unwrapped the scarf around her neck and was bringing it over to his eye. He submitted, offering no resistance as she wrapped his eye.

Some of Blake's finger breezed through his thick locks, feeling two or so ... lumps?

He quickly snatched her wrist. He didn't look in pain, so it wasn't an injury or he hid his laments very well.

"Thank you, but let me." He smiled.

Blake was irked, "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

His face dissolved its false smile, appearing more pleading. "I beg of you, it's best if I do this."

Blake grimaced. "Alrigbt." She handed him the scarf, "But i want that back AND thoroughly washed as soon as possible." She pointed at him, meaning to be more humorous then anything.

"Wouldn't return it another way." He chuckled, tying the black scarf over his injured eye.

[]]]]]

After a wait of almost a half hour; the two airships meant to pick up the teams arrived. The pilot that held Anu and several others told them that there was a third that picked up four others earlier.

Anu secretly loathed them that they did not stand with them against the Kurgan. He had to forcefully understand that if the beast itself as well as the Death-Flyers did not appear, he may have done similarly.

He scratched the edge of his makeshift eyepatch and his gaze loomed over to Blake. Despite his current... mishaps, he had to acknowledge that she was indeed beautiful as she was bright. 'And kind.' Retrieving his hand from the scarf. He sighed mentally, shaking his head, as if trying to loose grip with the path of thought.

'Gods, I hope they have chocolate back at Beacon.' He smirked.

][][[[[

"...you will be known as team JNPR. Lead by Jaune Arc." Ozpin nodded to the young blonde, "Congratulations young man."

Jaune looked around, surprised and confused. Before getting punt off the floor by Pyrra's comradic punch to the shoulder.

Ezekiel, Shora, Anu and Rhaine stood in a line, side by aide as Ozpin solidified their team. "Anu Priest, Rhaine Hodmada, Ezekiel Raphiel Atrona, Shora Valkyrie. You shall be known as team ARES. Lead by Ezekiel, congratulations."

"Hehe, hell yea, Doc!" Raf 'thumbed up' towards Ozpin.

"It's Professor." He slid his glasses up his nose in slight annoyance.

He shrugged, hands up, as the four walked off the podium. "Whatever."

][]]]

**FINALLY THE FOREST is completed! :D at first I was gunna make Raf very against the idea of being a leader of the team, but didn't cause I'm tired of the whole 'hesitant/reluctant hero' shite. And since he has an enormous ego (the psychological thing, not the power thing), I think he'd enjoy being one.**

**Review if you desire to give me advice or words of favor, favorite, follow or both if you would like more! Happy days everyone! :D**


	13. The Akuma has you

**Hi everybody :)**

**I was just shown the plethora of information gathering gizmos on my fanfic profile and I am both surprised and amazed that this fanfic has over 500 views. Im not sure if that's a lot to the site itself, but it's a lot to me and I just wanted to say, thank you guys :) I'm flattered and humbled with how many have seen this work and I hope to make you all proud in the future.**

**To Captain Capri: wow, double review! I'm honored! :D and hopefully the cliffhanger was better than Halo 2's, am I right? XD dawww Why is Raf a loser? :( Honestly, I'm intrigued by the idea x)**

][]]]]]

"Uhhhh hey man?" Raf spoke lowly to Anu as team RWBY was being declared.

"Yes Ezekiel?" Anu grinned at his leader.

"Just Raf. Really. And..." He scratched his brow in annoyance. "Can you get a shirt?"

Anu paused, "I... will try to find a cover for myself after this. I shan't disrespect those assembled with my departure, leader." He looked down uneasily, "Is nudity a large taboo here?"

"No no... just..." Raf sighed, "It ain't exactly looked in with a bright light and a smile, if ya know what I mean."

"I... I apologize but no, I genuinely don't." He chuckled nervously.

Raf shrugged, "Just get a shirt soon yea? And a belt. Don't want you flashing the goods and getting my ass whipped 'cause of it."

Anu nodded again.

After the declaration ceremony, the 'first-years' were assigned dorms. Again, a certain Priest was peeved they were forced into the same room again, but he couldn't exactly hold-hate, the room was remarkably spacious. Including two sets of beds with one laying on the other.

'How quaint!' He grinned as he observed the bunk beds. He and the others held in their arms five days' worth of uniforms, whatever they brought with them they would retrieve the following day. Anu was mortified and depressed at the recollection however.

He breathed remorsefully, speaking aloud. "I had only one robe. Such a sad thing." Slouching.

"You know what's sad?" Rhaine budged passed Anu. "Sharing a space with you. Again."

Raf scoffed, "Listen Raina, ya gotta ease up on the guy. Youre bitchin' gets on the nerves."

"My name is RHAINE!" She huffed, slamming her clothing on the bed.

"And stop yelling too. While yur at it." Raf claimed his own bed by plopping the uniforms on the ground and throwing himself on the top bunk with a bounce.

"The sexual tension will be strong with these two." Shora deadpanned. They weren't sure whether she said it for saying it, or said it to quiet them down, if it was the last choice, it certainly worked.

Anu chuckled uncomfortably. "Seems this team is already off to a wonderful start."

"Shut up." Both Raf and Rhaine ordered the slightly mortified Anu.

'Great, now I have two stubborn 'masters'.'

][]]][[[

"Excuse me, miss?" Anu asked the first one he saw in the infirmary.

The nurse looked up from her desk at him and practically jumped from her chair, "Goodness gracious!" She led him to an alcove, practically forcing him into the seat. Before he could muster an explanation she was already unwrapping Blake's scarf and gasped at what she saw. "You must work on your Aura, mister!"

Anu groaned, 'Something tells me I'm going to be hearing that over much.'

The nurse pinned his face and applied eye drops to his injury and practically threatened to impose better self-preservation before he left. 'That one may have injured me more than the Akuma.'

It was already night, most were asleep by this time. He chuckled inwardly, 'I'm tempted to join them in true slumber. Today has been ripe fully eventful.' But until he retired for the evening, he stopped by the washroom. Rows of washing machines lined the walls, as well as dryers. He cursed, he needs someone to teach these things to him. He took soap and ran a nearby sink, soaking the scarf before scrubbing the areas tinted with blood. Despite how black the material was, if one focused enough, blood can be seen. He washed the cloth as well as he could before taking it back to his dorm.

He opened the door to be greeted with the sound of Rhaine snoring, the others joining her in sweet unconscious. He placed the scarf on the shower curtain, hoping it will be dry enough by morning.

He slid into the bottom bunk, under Shora's. The mattress was beautifully comfortable, and he quickly felt his own eye lids fall, the rhythm of Rhaine snoring strangely relaxing. It must have been some form of queer humor, in imbalance of his bodily ichors or his own overactive imagination, but before he truly fell asleep, he swore he had an actual dream, small as it was.

An image of black ribbons and rose petals. Dreaming? How odd is that? He smiled lightly before true sleep claimed him.

[]]]]][

"You have a class for Grimm?" Anu asked Shora as they paced side by side. Anu was moving uncomfortably in his uniform, feeling it was too constrained, too tight. If he got into a fight in this traditional attire, he'd undoubtedly damage it.

Shora seemed as... plain as she usually has been. "I wouldn't recognize the idea that there will be education of the Grimm. Few things are actually known about them, while most is just vein religious theory and conjecture."

Anu 'hmm'ed, not sure what to say. "Should i say something then? The Shira-Kai have had a longer history and record concerning the Grimm."

Shora's brow momentarily contorted in brief confusion. "Shira-Kai? Who is that? A scientist?"

He opened the door for Shora as they reached the class, "They are a people. I can give answers later." They took seats near the front, Shora wanted to do well in class while Anu followed her recommendation. This put them at eye level with the portly hunter-instructor, Peter Port.

'Gods, the irony of that name alone...' Anu tried not to laugh, smiling awkwardly instead.

When class was fully assembled, Hunter-Port at first began to describe what the Grimm were. Then describing what he himself was. At first, Anu thought this was some kind of metaphor, where he and the lecture would coincide. This was not the case, as he prattled on with his past.

Anu sighed bitterly, leaning back in his seat. Shora spotted the act threw the corner of her eye as she wrote in her Scroll. "Speak up. If you have something to say."

Anu shook his head, "It wouldn't be appropriate. He is the teacher. Challenging his intelligence on the first day would be ru-"

"Mr. Port?" Shora rose her hand and asked for the man.

"Yes little lady?" Anu thought he saw him gave a suggestive look, but the man's eyebrows were so bushy he couldn't even see his eyes.

"My partner believes he has information that could assist this lecture on the GRIMM." She stressed the subject.

"Oh ho ho, i see." His gaze was directed to Anu, who at the moment wished he could melt into the floor boards in embarrassment. "Chin up lad! What do you have to say?"

"Well... first, that the Grimm aren't strictly monsters. They're creatures, just with an inhospitable evolution and attitude to the Children of Dust."

"I'm sorry dear boy, the who?"

"You're all Children of Dust, Faunus, humans, those blessed with reason, knowledge and power to access Dust." Anu answered, standing up from his desk. "They are beings, separate in form and function but equal to the Children in power, given time. The Grimm are vastly diverse, this is due to their evolution in comparison to the Children. They change for their environment, on the individual level. Adaptions, increased strength, being able to naturally harness nature's wrath without Dust, cunning, all of this is bound to an individual instead of a group that changes over time, though at a far greater speed."

The instructor seemed more fascinated then offended. "That's quite the theory, young man."

"My... own history of the Grimm is different. My homeland was filled with extremely ancient and highly evolved Grimm."

"Thank you lad. Please sit." That's when he started to sound offended.

Anu frowned, disappointed he couldn't share more knowledge. Strangely, Shora took his hand closest and shook it comradically and whispered, "You were very good." Before letting go and continuing writing, face still unmoved.

While Anu understood that she was a bit... odd, and he liked her reassurance, he couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. 'Not that facial expressions can make such authentic anyways.' He thought. Maybe he was nit picking his partner. She was enormously different then he was. Human, extremely intelligent by what he's seen, is more on the mind rather than the heart. Not that's a bad thing. 'Unless it's too much mind, where the heart atrophies from neglect.'

][]]]]

'Why is he staring at me?' Shora wondered, annoyed by his constant gaze at her. 'From what he said, hes from a cultural group called Shira-Kai. Maybe touching is forbidden? Very personal or improper? Made him confused?'

She bit into her pencil, a bit below the eraser, a nervous or deep in thought habit. He cocked his head slightly, still staring, as if trying to look at a painting at a different perspective.

She placed the pencil down, "Anu, please, why are-" looking at where Priest was, it was almost looking at someone else.

The man's eyelids turned black, tapering off the corners of the eye, almost like some archaic version of eye makeup. The eyes... they glow faintly, the pupil quite small, the iris enwrapped in a circle of black. Her body stilled, feeling distant, unresponsive, clumsy.

Then, she fell.

][[][]]

'Breathe.' A soothing voice commanded.

Shora made a sudden intake of breath, feeling instantly revitalized and aware. Hers eyes screamed of pain, the sky painfully bright but almost like a response to her distress, the light dimmed. She huffed out air, blowing up orange sand. She stood, unsteadily, afraid and panicked from the events.

"Do not be afraid. You are safe here, safe with me. Nothing will harm you." The voice spoke again.

"Who are you?! Where am I?!" Shora demanded.

"You have always been here. I merely changed the scenery with my presence." Anu appeared behind her, wearing the robe she met him in. "We are in your mind. Well... our minds technically. More so yours, you ultimately have command here."

Shora stared at him, "How... what did you do?"

Anu smiled, "I am here to show you answers. You are my partner. What questions you have, I can remove your confusion." He placed his hands in pockets in his actual pants, "Besides, the instructor is teaching nothing of import. I would like to weigh you. Know who I'm dealing with."

She gave him a glare. "I am a hundred, forty-five pounds."

He laughed, "No, not your body." He rubbed his chin, looking up and down the young blonde. "Speaking of..." He pointed at her.

Shora wrapped her arms around her body in a mad panic, shameful and feeling extremely exposed. "I've been naked this whole time?!"

"Yes, but don't worry. It's nothing I haven't seen before. If you would feel more comfortable, place yourself in clothing, concentrate on the feel of fabric against your skin, the smooth cool or the itchiness if you prefer the school uniform." He tried to seem as well humored and polite as possible, his lacking of informing her lack of attire seemed to mortify the young woman. In hind sight, it should have been the first thing he mentions.

She concentrated, removing her ire for the moment.

"A bath robe?" Anu questioned.

"Pajamas. If i could, i would wear these every minute of every day." The robe was a dark blue, with white and red striped shirt and pants.

"I see." Anu shrugged. "Cannot say I see the choice as detrimental." Gripping his own robes, "These things are welcome for every occasion."

The blinking of hate returned, "Now that we are in my mind however, as repayment for your perversion..." She concentrated again.

"Haha trying to strip me? Do not exert the effort, I a have a mental fortitude that will deny all but the most remarkable of influences." Anu smiled. "Regardless, we'll be living together. Sooner or later ill mess up and you'll see me in my glory." He winked. Flirtation wasn't something that came naturally to him, especially with humans but he took it as a good omen that it meant he was comfortable around her.

Shora almost pouted. "Acknowledged."

"Now... questions." He walked up to Shora, his eyes changing to how they were before she and he mentally transferred to this plane.

Shora nodded, "The Shira-Kai first. They are your people?"

He smiled, the sands dispersing to a non-existent wind. What took the place of the dunes were rows of red stone buildings, some dug into vast mountains, a village of low population to the standards of the Kingdoms. Just over a league away, was a large oasis, with an equally vast farm stead. Past those, almost like landmarks of sorts, towering pyramids, the tops shining like gold.

"We haven't been exposed to the outside world for over seven-thousand years." Anu walked to her side, crossing his arms, placing them into his large sleeves. "This is due to a device which is... beyond us. It folded the area, over our small continent. It made sure our Grimm, highly evolved and plentiful during ancient times, did not escape to the lands beyond."

"It made your land a pocket dimension." Shora awe gave a small smile.

"I beg your pardon? Can you explain?"

She momentarily had a full-fledged grin before reverting back to its previous state. "This device folded space. Made you separate from reality, or the reality we could, at the time, understand and manipulate."

He nodded, "The machine atrophied. Only did we return four years ago." Gesturing to the shore line with his head. In the distance, several silhouettes could be spotted, five or so in the sea while near a dozen hovered above the sea ships. It took Shora to recognize the largest of the flying behemoths. "Is that... an Atlas Cruiser?"

Anu paused, before he stiffly replied, "Yes." He unfolded his hands, "at first we did not know of the machines failure. Some months pass, Atlas sent an expedition. Before we knew it, hundreds had made landfall..." It flashed ahead, the sea ships harbored into the beach, while airships either hovered near or patrolled the sky. Naval men, tents and automata of differing dedications covered the beach. Shora looked again at the village, its people hesitantly approaching. "...where we met the first pureblooded humans in generations."

Shora looked excitedly from him to the parties meeting for the initial time. "First hu-... the Shira-Kai are a true Faunus civilization?"

"Yes, but not just that." He looked to Shora, a grin of a small measure of pride on his features. "We were the first civilization on Remnant."

][]]]]]

**BACKSTORY! :D at the moment I'm experimenting with the possible 'ships' i can make, as can be seen with Shora, though his intentions are informative rather than romantic.**

**So a Faunus civilization. To my knowledge of RWBY, they never stated if there is or ever was a strictly pure Faunus culture in the world. At first I was going to have them to be closer to Native Americans, but was dissuaded from the idea because of my recent seeing of the movie Avatar. That idea became a 'NOPE'. X) Not that I thought I'd feel like I was copying or anything, but for the fact that it would be seen as 'industrial vs spiritual'. Which won't be the case with the Shira-Kai, who are actually extremely advanced both philosophically and technologically but 'skipped' things such as firearms, using fossil fuels, and instead rely on cultivating and growing a special form of Dust for communication and expanding their rural and urban areas into barren deserts.**

**Also, the Shira-Kai name are a strange combo of words of two cultures. Shira is a Hebrew name meaning Singing or Poet, while Kai, in its name in Chinese is Victory. Which sorta hints at their origin and how they use Ego psychic wave lengths, called 'Songs'. Meaning more towards 'Singing Victor' or 'Poetic Victory'.**

**Anyways! Hope you guys enjoyed! Review if ya got something to say, good or bad, favorite, follow or both if ya like what ya saw. Either or neither way, have an incredible day and rock on :)**

**Ps. Don't own rights to Avatar. If i did, it would've been... different XD**


	14. How to Spell Excessive Force?

**Waasssssssuppppp!? :D**

**Haha, hello again, hope you all are having a pleasant day. :)**

**Also, as a reminder; this is an experiment. I need help in getting better. Speaking of it, i am very bipolar theme wise, especially with what I intend with this story. There will be extremely dark elements, but also ones that will seem chipper, almost whimsical. I try to make these as balanced as possible, no day without night stuff x) I'm like a kid surrounded by chocolate, sometimes I have to be told no and corrected :)**

**Enoughweirdmetaphors,ontothestory!**

**][[][]]][]]]**

"What the hidey hell are they doin'?" Ezkiel asked as he and Rhaine observed their team mates, Anu and Shora.

They've been staring like this for a while, a little before Weiss Schnee volunteered to fight a Razorback.

"Not a clue. But..." Rhaine sat besides Anu, staring at his changed eyes. "These... I think he's actually put an illusion on her, as well as himself threw the reflection in her eyes." Sounding intrigued. "Why...?" She snapped hee fingers in the air between them, the two, frozen in apparent catatonia, were unphased.

[]]]]

Anu sighed, "Seems it's time to leave." While time was slow in places like these, it didn't stop. He heard snapping, though it was distant and he had to concentrate in order to recognize it.

"Before we do." Shora turned to Anu, "Why are you showing me this?"

Anu laughed, "Something told me you'd like it." He ran a hand threw his hair. "Honestly, I also need someone to know the stories I have in case..." He sighed, "Bah, never mind me." Anu shrugged. "Some of these facts are not exactly public knowledge. They need to be known." Rolling a shoulder, "No matter how horribly the stories end."

"I see." Shora replied, still with disappointment. "Can you show me more at another time?"

He shook his head, "I wouldn't recommend it again today." He rubbed his chin, "For the uninitiated, these connections can put strain on your mind and body. I'd give it a week or so."

"Acknowledged. How do we disconnect?" Shora stood straighter.

"What gets you out of the bed in the morning? This hypnosis is weak, you can easily wake up om your own. You can create the stimuli."

Shora focused a moment, nothing occurred.

Anu knew that these things can't be rushed and bided his time, looking over the memory.

Shora attempted again.

][]]]]]

Rhaine poked Anu in a temple. "Messiah, nothings gettin-"

"Ahhhhhh!" Anu yelled out in freight.

"Mahhhhhh!" Rhaine shrieked in surprise.

"Ehhh?!" Raf was included.

Shora dusted off her lap, picking up her materials and began to leave.

][]]]]

"I'm extremely apologetic Rhaine." He rubbed at a bruised eyebrow, sounding sincere. "What that Shora thinks in order to wake up is horrific."

Rhaine huffed, "I'll bet."

Raf rolled his eyes. "God i hope ya'll ain't gunna be like this every day."

Anu shrugged. "I... doubt it."

Rhaine looked around, "Is smarty pants Shora too good to walk with us to next class?"

"I don't believe she thinks she's 'good' at all." Anu grimaced, "I had the feeling she doesn't put much stock in the idea of friendship. Or at least how most see..." Anu trailed off as he stopped mid pace.

][]]]

Orange hair, like a cape of dawn light. Pale skin, so fair and unburdened by the punishment of a cruel land and its patron sun. Eyes like jade, defiant yet kind. A smile as mischievous as it was beautiful. Horns curving above her ears, brutish yet elegant.

Anu stopped breathing, eyes locked firmly on the woman. Tears gathering. Teary crimson eyes locked on... her.

[]]]][[][[

"Jaune, you have to work harder to wake up on time. We can't do this every day." Ren rubbed the bridge of his nose

Jaune was hunched over as he heard the lecture. He had very little sleep last night despite his exertions, so, thus explaining why he's had difficulty today. "I know, I know." He mumbled. "I just need to adjust. Can't really sleep in a place I don't know."

They walked with Pyrra and ever over joyful Nora. They were fairly exhausted as well, but they were either able to rely on their Aura or such as Pyrra's case, had long experiences when it came to physical and mental exhaustion and was able to move past it.

"You didn't have that problem standing up on an airship!" Nora laughed.

Jaune groaned, "Is anyone gunna let that go?"

The three spoke, "No." "Nope." "Uh-uh."

Groaning yet again, Jaune slumped further down, as if the reminder of his humiliation was a large bag of luggage he also had to carry with his parcel of fatigue.

As they crossed into another hallway, he was brought out of his delirium from team ARES, notably Anu Priest, who seemed paralyzed with a mix of utter shock and disbelief, seeming to be near tears.

Whats more alerting was that the gaze was directed towards him and his own team. Almost as quickly as his vision been realized, did it recede, replaced by a face that can only be described as a passive melancholy, barely hidden bitterness or sadness, then rejoining the flanks of his peers as they made way to their next destination down another hall near them.

"You guys saw that right?" Jaune asked, a bit iffy.

"I did." Ren stated, "Looked like he saw a ghost or something."

Pyrra nodded, agreeing silently.

"What's up?" Nora asked, feeling a bit out of the loop.

Jaune shrugged, slouching slightly back. "Absolutely no idea." Shrugging, "Maybe he had to sneeze or something. Those 'false alarms' make me sad too."

[][[][]]]]

"You alright, big guy?" Raf nudged Anu on his shoulder.

"Oh, yes, apologies." Rubbing one of his red organs, "Eyes are dry."

"No shit. You were staring at each other for close to a dozen minutes or so." Raf continued.

[][]]]]]

'What by the Blood was that?' Anu kept on thinking to himself, 'I actually SAW her!'

This pattern seemed to whirl around in his mind like a whirlpool, until he has to find a reason for his hallucination. 'That memory... it wasn't too far distant when I first met her. Perhaps my Akuma made a mental apparition of sorts?'

"Mr. Priest!" Professor Bartholomew demanded.

He recovered from his stupor to see the green haired man 'zip!' to where he was sitting. "Can-you-tell-me-what-was-the-reason-behind-the-Great-Schism?"

"Eh?" Anu blinked, "Begging your pardon professor, I do not know."

He sipped his thermos, "Page-64!"

Priest hesitantly opened the history book near him. "Apologies, Professor..." Mumbling something inaudible.

"Come come, speak up!"

"I can't read Remnation."

Professor Bartholomew stood in still thought for a moment before saying, "Stay after class." Less loud and imposing but he quickly stepped in front of Rhaine to his right. "What-is-the-reason-of-the-Great-Schism-Ms. Hodmada?"

"Nationalistic ideals, mixed with idiotic viceroyalty oversites. The First Empire of Atlas had overstretched its dominion in what would be called Vale. And something tells me the extremely defective nobility didn't exactly help the situation." The Faunus stated, feeling some pride at her own personal comment of history.

"Well-done! Decedent-as-it-was,-the-actions-of-the-First-Empire-have-influence-to-this-day. Without-its-establishment-two-thousand-years-ago, I-shudder-to-think-what-modern-civilization-would-have-become."

Rhaine hoped she would have a class such as this. She had a great love for the past, hell, she had a bust replica of Pardutus, the philosopher-king who united the land of Atlas and forged the beginnings of the First Empire. There was something oddly satisfying and romantic about history to her.

Anu was slumped in his seat.

"Come on you big baby." Rhaine whispered, nudging her book closer towards him. "Don't get all depressed from a bit of embarrassment. Move forward." Anu's eyebrow rose, slightly discomforted with her wanting to help the subject she thought that put him in a sour stupor.

"I'll help you out. But just this once." Where the Rhaine read passages of pages the professor gave.

[][]]]]]]

"Seriously, what'd you do that made a guy control a giant-ass Grimm with his eyes freak out that badly?" Raf asked Shora, extremely curious. They were in the midpoint of 'tactics and strategy' with Professor Benit, one of the few faculty in Beacon who didn't have a strong enough Aura to become a Hunter. He was smart, don't let his choice of career fool anyone, but he was just soooo insanely boring.

"There aren't words to describe it." Shora stated as she wrote further notes. "It's something that must be seen."

Raf laughed lightly, "I'll make strides notta see it then."

[][][[[

"With all due respect, how were you able to get into Beacon without learning the global trade language?" Bartholomew demanded.

Anu grimaced, "I can speak it just fine. Reading is the issue. Never learned it."

"I see." He gulped from his thermos, "I already have a good source in mind where you can pick up materials to start to learn." He 'zipped' from his desk back to Anu in an eye blink, handing him a business card. "It's a store called Tuscan's Book Trade. If you show this to a bus I'm sure they'll take you near there."

"I... see." Anu capitulated. A part of him desired to reject the need for furthering his education in language, though he could see the merit (and ease) which it could afford him.

"Id-also-recommend-a-tutor. Though-I'm-not-sure-who-in-the-faculty-would-be-able-to-assist. Most-are-dedicated-towards-Hunter-subjects."

Anu thought, before saying, "What about a student?"

"Hmm. I-can-see-the-potential-in-that. Very-good. Pleasant-day-Anu."

[][[]]]]

"Soooo how was everyone's day?" Raf asked as an afterthought to his team, most of whom fell into their bunks.

"Eh." Rhaine sighed.

Anu and Shora were silent as they worked further in their beds. The former jumped out, "Thanks for reminding me!" Taking a black scarf out of the bathroom and dashed out of the room.

Good thing the first years are arranged so they can walk across the hall and knock on a door. 'Would've been odd running around with a bit of cloth.' Knocking on team RWBY's door twice.

He was greeted by a certain voluptuous blonde. "Well hello there, Anu." she smiled.

He smiled back, "How do you do, Yang? Pleasant day?"

"Just got a bit better." She winked.

"Ah... good. H-happy to help." Anu asked slightly put off.

"Whatcha here for, handsome?" Yang leant against the door frame.

"Actually I'm here to give this back to Blake." He presented the scarf, "If you would not mind, can you also give her a message? I must depart for Vale soon and I believe I will be back by nightfall."

Yang stood up and smiled losing a majority of her flirtatious air. "Sure, I'd be happy to help."

[][[[[[[

"Welcome to-" Tuscan halfway greeted as the customer entered. He was stopped when he saw the handle to a two handed sword on his back. Looked like a Diachi of some kind though heavily modified. 'Damn. They'd found me.' Tuscan cursed mentally. "... Tuscan's Book trade. Every book under the sun."

The man smiled, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Then bowing at the waist. "I was recommended here by a professor at Beacon. He said you have materials for learning to write Remnatain."

'Huh. Hunter eh? Could be a ruse.' Tuscan nodded, "Over here." He walked to one side of the room, taking two books out of a low shelf, handing them over. "My baby sister's kids say these were really helpful."

"Excellent. What's the charge? Also, where do I begin?" Anu felt around in his robe sleeves for his bundle of Lien bills.

Tuscan's eyes were locked on him ruffling threw his sleeves. "Fourteen-thirty."

"This enough?" Giving a yellow twenty bill.

He nodded cautiously.

"Keep the remainder. Pleasant day... Tuscan?" Anu asked uncertainly.

"Yes." 'This is it.' Tuscan thought. His claws unsheathing.

"Ah, well..." He presented his hand, "I am Anu Icarusi Priest Cadens. Priest is my formal name, though if you care little for formality, Anu is also fine."

Tuscan sternly shook his hand. "Tuscan Barcka."

Anu flinched, "Ouch." Retrieving his hand, "Apologies, but do you have long nails?"

Tuscan's eyes narrowed, "Are you from the White-Fang?"

Anu's open smile turned into a passive grimace. "I am not, no."

Tuscan scoffed. "Really?"

"Truthfully. Why?" Anu's question sounded more like a demand.

Tuscan was close to demanding him to leave in turn. He thought against it. 'Hes technically a paying customer.' He sighed, relaxing, his claws retracting. "Been on edge. The White Fang have been attacking stores nearby for weeks."

Anu blinked, "Really? For what end?"

He shrugged, messaging his neck. "Got me. I just work here."

"Do you require assistance?" Anu asked, his demeanor return.

Tuscan was honestly surprised at the offer, but didn't show it. "Don't we all? No thanks kid, I'll be fine."

"I see." Anu sounded disappointed.

Tuscan rested against his counter. "Sorry about the paranoia. For what it's worth, please come back, I'm sure I can fish for books to help you out." He snapped his fingers, "Before I forget; you can use your Scroll. Enter the code in the cover and it'll upload the narrator program."

Anu bowed again, "Until we meet again, thank you very much, Tuscan."

The door chimed again as he left. Tuscan mentally chastised himself. He reacted like a wild, cornered coward to the first person that walked in with a weapon.

[][][]]]]]]

Anu was walking back to the bus stop, dusk was fast approaching. He hoped he'd get back before the evening fully set.

"Freeze!" A woman ordered.

Anu stopped mid pace, foot in air.

"You're under arrest, murderer!"

That peeved Anu. He turned around to see a woman, maybe under six feet tall. If one included the ears. 'Bat Faunus? Those look like bat ears.' She was dark of skin, of a complexion that were some shades deeper than his own.

She had a blue police uniform, with massive and round glasses. Pink eyes were almost unviewable threw the spectacles.

'I never forget a face. She shouldn't know mine.' Anu thought, "Ihtah?"

She pulled out a baton, igniting the trigger and saw electricity curl around the fighting stick. "In the name of the law; you shall be punished!" Before charging at him.

"Ihtah?" He asked completely bewildered.

**[][[[]]]]**

**Well i guess you can say he was caught...**

***puts on sunglasses***

**By the fuzz...**

**[Cricket sounds]**

**Favorite and/or follow if you like this and want more, review if you want to constructively comment on how i write, how to improve, and I'll see you guys next time!**

**Adios! :D**


	15. Mondays, Mondays, Mondays

**Nocommentsatthemomentchargeaheadtothefics!**

**[][]][[[[[[[-**

"Stay still!" The patrolwoman demanded as se swung her baton, the man dodging.

"I'm sorry! I've haven't killed anyone!" Anu dodged again, looking extremely afraid.

"Ahhhhhh!" She yelled out in frustration, swinging the weapon in unpredictable arcs. One of which struck him right on his forehead, who was not only shocked a moment, but moaned as he fell back onto the pavement, a lump forming.

She looked down at him, surprise turning to a victorious smile. "Gottcha, Collector!" Swing handcuffs on a gloved finger before clasping them around his wrists on his back and taking his sword.

'This... is what he used on those families?' She looked at the sheathed blade with a tint of doubt. She pulled on the scabbard, only for it to stiffly refuse her attempt to unsheathe it.

"Ihtah?" He sat up, looking up and his face creased in slight anger. "That's mine, I'll have you know!"

She scoffed, "Not anymore. Now it's the Vale police departments'..." Struggling to unsheathe the sword again. "How do you take out this damn thing?!"

"She doesn't like you. Shu is very specific who can use her." He added, matter-of-factly.

She smacked the covered blade against his swollen forehead. He saw flickering starry shapes, before falling back down, moaning weakly.

'Wait... that's a Beacon Academy uniform.' The officer blinked several times before saying silently. "Oh... shit..." But then she recalled the fact that a Hunter, even one in training, had an Aura so strong that they absorb bullets. 'Why is this guy taking easy hits?' Her resolve had reaffirmed, 'Could've possibly killed another Faunus, took their parts, took the clothes and is trying to blend in.'

He moaned again, twitching slightly, practically cross eyed.

"Still though..." A nagging corner of her mind thought that she might've jumped the gun. A bit. A little bit. He's carrying a weapon that could easily be used to cutting off Faunus bits. 'What if he isn't the Collector? What if he's actually a Hunter?' That creeping vein of doubt bit into her harder than a cobra. 'Shit! What if I fucked up?! I'll get kicked out! The boss is just looking for an excuse to!' She shrieked, almost jumped too when her radio chimed.

Anu shot up, "Begging your pardon, my lady, i really need to return to Beacon."

She blinked as she held the radio. Sighing, 'The security at the entrance to Beacon will be able to verify his identity.' "I'll give you a ride back, if you promise not to speak a word of this."

He tilted his head, "Speak of what?"

'Please be joking. Please don't have brain damage.' She stared. 'I'm keeping the handcuffs on though. Just in case.'

[]]][[[[

"Ahhh I've seen these law enforcement vehicles in films, but I never thought I'd be in one." He looked around the gated rear section of the Automobile.

"Well, life's a crazy journey like that." Biting one of her already fairly short nails.

"Quite so, quite so." He smiled at her, both eyes closed.

'God, he's actually really cute. I actually feel pretty bad for beating him up.' In the case he wasn't the culprit that is.

"Excuse me, but what's your name?"

She looked back in the mirror at the man. "Name's Lizbeth Cane."

"Pleased to meet you!" He sounded actually happy, despite being cuffed and locked into a cop's car. "I am Anu Icarusi Priest Cadens."

"That's some name." She spoke instantly after.

"Please call me Anu." He chuckled.

She shrugged. "Okay."

He hummed a tune, not sure what to speak about. "Soooo how's Vale?"

Lizbeth turned sharply left, the unexpected motion introduced Anu's scalp to the side of the auto's door. He groaned lightly.

"Ah crap, sorry!" She yelled back.

'Can't tell if she did that on purpose or not.' He thought.

"We'll be at the gate of Beacon in a few mi-" the Radio in the vehicle buzzed with chatter. Anu had difficulty picking out words from the garbled speech.

Lizbeth took the corded voice box after a moment of thought. "Roger, patrol 32 nearby. Will investigate." Clicking the machine off, she looked back threw the mirror. "Going to make a slight detour, and if this call is correct, I'm going to let you off the hook, no problems."

Before making another sharp turn and introducing Anu to the window on the opposite side of the vehicle.

[][[[[[

'Oh god, I did it again.' The man stared down at his hands dyed crimson. 'No no no, I was supposed to have stopped! The...' His eyes wondered to his coat pockets and sighed. 'Have to burn them. Leave no trace.'

[][]][[[[[

"Okay, I'm gunna leave this car locked. You're safer here. I'll be back soon." Lizbeth said, pulling out a heavy duty pistol from between the cushions of her seat. "If another patrolman asks, just tell them I left ya here." Pulling out a harness, she strapped the weapon under her left arm.

"Ihtah?" He asked.

She shook her head, "I'll take that as a sign you got everything I said." She took several calming breaths before running down a block and out of view.

Raf's endearing personality dropped immediately after he saw her depart, he eyed Shu, lying in the front-passenger seat. He laid down against his own cushion, worming his handcuffed hands to his front.

[][[[[[

'By the books, most people are home. MOST people. Don't shoot anyone without need.' Lizbeth repeated. 'There's a disturbance, screaming, could possibly be another Collector attack.'

She rounded another corning, cursing that it wasn't bright enough to see clearly. Her hearing, however, detected no movement, or heart beats.

[][[[[

'Run! Leave! Don't...' the man's own lucidity melted like snow in fire when he spotted a newcomer, and her very... animal ears. He couldn't consciously describe what it felt like, the yearning that drove his actions.

When he saw a Faunus and their animal traits, he felt... anger but a desire to change. It was a contradictory desire that ended in contradictory results.

[][[[[]]]]]]

Lizbeth steadily paced to a nearby lamppost, trying to plan a search pattern. While her sight was horrendous without aids such her glasses and light with her visual panning, she saw a growing pool of blood some meters to her right in the open street and a crudely seen figure atop it.

Her heart lept in her chest to her throat, apprehension and hatred made her hands on her weapon shake. She approached the fallen figure, steadily, taking in every detail, sight, smell and sound.

When she was by the puddle of mottled red, she knelt, feeling for a pulse, gaining a vague idea of the victim's features. Or lacking thereof.

She took a second glance to confirm her suspicion. This was indeed a Collector attack. Lizbeth looked down, at a glance, the man in question would be seen as human. If not for the bloody clumps on top of his head where his True-Ears were. Almost any Faunus can live threw a mutilation such as this, if they can make sure they didn't bleed out and survived the shock from the pain and sudden sensory insanity, but there was a primary trauma in the upper left chest, a cleaving weapon of some kind.

"Messiah..." Despite the number of scene photos of his previous work, it still made her nauseous. Especially when it's actually in front of you, you can smell the victim's blood, see their lifeless eyes who's last moments were of unbridled fear. She couldn't even im-

"I'm so sorry about this!"

Lizbeth barely had enough time to fire her pistol before she was picked under her legs by two arms.

Handcuffs bit into her thighs as they snagged into his wrists. As he ran, she spotted for the barest instant another mass that was not a pace from where she observed.

She screamed lightly as her carrier lept from the street into a low roofed building some distance away, heaving as he threw himself and her to a high building top.

She fell off him onto the tiled roof, gasping and holding onto her weapon.

Anu hissed as he grabbed at his side, blood spilling out of a still burning hole.

"W-W-What the hell-!? How'd you get out of the car?!" Lizbeth demanded.

"The backmost viewing port... i pushed it open..." He sighed, forcing a painful smile.

Lizbeth's adrenaline was pumping thickly threw her form, a combination of the shock that the Collector was right behind her and she didn't even HEAR and well, the sudden vertigo of being tossed from one building to another by her dubious savior. And shooting said man.

Anu coughed, "I can't... reach it..."

Lizbetg stared as she saw his index and middle finger were INSIDE his side.

"STOP IT!" She ordered, placing her gun in the holster.

The man slowly gave up. "I can't heal until I remove the bullet."

Lizbeth shook her head, "Just stop!"

He stared in concern, "Apologies."

She took more breaths, "How... how didn't I hear that sick fuck...?" She let her head fall onto the ceiling.

"I think... he has a Semblance of some kind." Anu answered. "A sort of intangibility? Being able to mold his body between corporeal and ethereal?"

"What? Like fog?" She spat back. She didn't care for an answer, honestly. She just... she was THIS close to him!

"Possibly..." Anu's voice quieted.

"If..." She wiped her brow, secretly sliding aside a nervous tear or two. "If he has a Semblance, he's got to be a Hunter. We can't fight that."

"I don't think... so. Not everyone with Semblances or Auras are Hunters."

That's when she had a good look at him, not sure whether she missed the fact in her first encounter. "Why... are you wearing eyeliner?"

Anu looked at her, Akuma active. "It's... not makeup." He closed his eyes, steadying the pattern of his lungs. The 'cosmetics' slowly melting. "I think..." His view wasn't at her, more of passed her. "I think he has a Semblance, but isn't fully aware of it. It needs a trigger of some kind."

Lizbeth sighed, "Doesn't make sense. Semblances are-"

"Not understandable." He cut her off. "From what information I've been told, Semblances are manifestations of one's darkness and light. Those two are extremely different from person to person." He laid down himself, groaning from the bullet wound. "And far more ominous, when one thinks of it."

Lizbeth wasn't able to answer. She was tired, shocked out of her wits and... She carefully crawled along the ceiling to Anu side. She wasn't a medic, but she knew it could've been worse. "Is your Semblance healing or something? That's why you were trying to get the bullet out?"

Anu didnt answer for a moment, where Lizbeth mentally panicked that he passed out from blood loss before he said, "It is an ability of mine, yes." He sat up, hissing a breath. "Will you help me?"

She cursed. "Fuck..." Shaking her head in frustration. "Today sucks." Gripping a shoulder and activating her Scroll for light.

Anu chuckled, "Yes. So I'm told; Mondays are oft heralds of mis-" he gasped as she gently felt around the wound before retrieving her finger, dimpled in his blood.

"I can't. I really can't." She backed off. She pulled out her portable radio, "I need a patrolman at..." She looked down at the street, "Pentiworth, five-sixty. An ambulan-"

"No." He shook his head at her, "No hospital. Take me back to Beacon."

She frawned. "Several Patrolman. Get in quiet. Collector attack. Taggers to inspect area." The radio responded in its garbled speech, but Lizbeth seemed satisfied by the answer.

Anu grimaced. "Do you want to try and get down or..?"

She shook her head, "No!" She sighed, "No... Lets just wait till they get here."

He nodded.

'First day of being a Hunter and I've already been shot. I shudder to think what will happen tomorrow.'

Silently, Lizbeth leaned over with a small silvery object and uncuffed Anu, retrieving the constraining bracelets.

"REALLY don't tell anyone about that."

[][[[[]]]]]

"Soooo why are you here?" A burly looking detective asked, writing pad in hand.

Anu smiled, "Miss Patrolman here..." Gesturing to Lizbeth some distance away talking to another, apparently higher rank of Patrolman, "happened to be near when she heard of an attack. She got me out of the area, just in case."

He didn't give any reaction and wrote. "So why were you out this late?"

"I missed my bus. Have to walk back to Beacon." Anu grimaced.

"Ill get someone to drop you off soon." He finished writing the pad and walked to another one of his peers.

Anu sighed, reaching for his side. 'Gods-of-old. This hurts so much! Hiding it is worse than acknowledging it.'

He walked to Lizbeth, still in the midst of communing with a superior. Said superior, an aged human with greying hair and dark brown eyes spotted Anu, cutting the conversation short.

Lizbeth saluted him, he saluting back, and then walked to Anu. "Sooo about that drive back to Beacon; I'll get right on that."

"Are you alright?" Anu asked from her solemn tone.

Lizbath shrugged, "Someone's dead. Couldn't catch his killer. Or the others. I lied on a report and... what else?"

Anu coughed.

"Oh yes. Shot my hero."

Anu looked questiongly at her, "Hero am I?"

She gave him a sarcastic look, "Don't read too much into that. I'm praising your actions. What you did was very brave."

Anu gave a small smile. "Thank you, Patrolman Lizbeth Cane."

"C'mon, I'll get you back home."

Lizbeth froze as she saw the back window popped out of her car. 'Just... screw today. I'm taking tomorrow off.'

They drove to Beacon in utter silence. Anu was in the front seat, reunited with Shu. Stopping some distance from the gate, they got out.

Lizbrth sighed, "Well, it's been good meeting you. Hope I never see you again."

Anu looked mortified by her statement. "Why?! Did I offend you?"

"No, it's the fact I'm a cop? You know?"

"I... no. I don't understand." He smiled, "You're very nice."

She sighed once more. "Good night Anu."

He beamed, "Good night Lizbeth."

[][][[[[[

"Twice in two days! Aura, young man!" The nurse demanded as she pulled the bullet out with medical tongs.

After another sudden-torture session by the hands of the Healer, he walked as slowly as possible back to his dorm. It was nine at night. Somehow it felt like four after midnight. First years are restricted to the dorms during weekdays after eight, he was surprised an instructor didn't scold him or something.

As he passed the main hall he paused as he heard the sound of...

*munch munch munch*

'What in the clan...?' He noticed a light was on in the kitchen. Moving in confidentially he asked out in surprise, "Ruby?"

"Ahhh!" She dropped the glass of milk.

[][[[[]]]]

Okay. Now. I just noticed there was a slightly trigger happy cop character.

I didn't make that character as any form of anti-cop or gun or any meaning whatsoever beyond a very scared fictional character who happens to be a cop who's tracking a very disturbing criminal.

I know there are lots of occurrences with cops are committing actions which are extremely disagreeable recently.

I am not political, or newsy or anything. I just like writing fiction and if these two things are a little too close so to cause friction, I sincerely apologize.

[

Anyways, I didnt like writing this chapter XD it was strangely frustrating :/

Pleasant day everyone! Review if you desire for some constructive criticism to go my way, favorite if you like it, follow if you want more (at least that's how I think it works).


	16. Cookies and Teases

**Hello! And yes, I know what you're thinking: that was a batman reference haha! Batgirl's name was Elizabeth Kane, thought the whole cop-bat Faunus warranted it x) Anyways!**

**Enjoytheshow!**

[][[[

Ruby sighed back into her seat, "I thought you were an instructor or something." She was wearing her pajamas, but she strangely had the red hood and cape she wears commonly.

Anu quickly leant Shu and his backpack against a wall and started picking up shards of glass. "I should have made my presence known with more ease, I'm sorry for scaring you."

Ruby hoped off the chair, "Y-you shouldn't pick those up! You'll cut yourself."

Anu smiled, "I have tough skin, I'll be fine." Placing a handful of the shattered material in a nearby trashbin. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your dorm?"

Ruby smirked, "Why aren't you?"

Anu momentarily paused, "Oh... I picked up a couple books."

Ruby beamed, "Are they in your bag?" Before taking the pack and pulling them out.

"Ihtah? Please d-"

Ruby stared at the books. "How to read my ABCs?" Looking to the other, "A Beginners Guide to Writing Remnatian?"

'Turning invisible shouldn't be much of an issue? Raf does it. Should be easy enough.' Anu thought. He failed.

Ruby seemed curious by this, "Sooo you're learning to read or something?"

Anu sounded slightly ashamed, "Yes." Standing up, throwing the last bits of glass he could find.

Ruby noticed the tone, "S-sorry. I thought they were stories."

Anu awkwardly sighed, "It's no trouble. Just a bit embarrassing."

Ruby smiled, "At least you're going to be learning, and asking for help isn't something to be ashamed for."

He gave a small smile, "No, no it is not." He looked over to the table, smiling cheekily, "Having a late night snack?"

Now it was Ruby's turn to look ashamed. "Ummm... maybe."

Anu chuckled, "I don't blame you. Hungry myself."

Ruby quickly got the plate of cookies and held them to Anu, "Would you like one? Chocolate chip."

"Thank you." Taking one of the confections and biting it in half. Chocolate was amazing, no matter its form bit it felt like it was missing something vital. Like meat.

Anu hummed at the taste. "Can I have another?"

Ruby hesitantly nodded, "Sure, but only because we're friends."

Anu took another cookie, before Ruby greedily began eating the others in rapid succession.

He laughed, covering a full mouth with a fist. "I won't take any more if you want them. Be slow, I wouldn't want you to get sick."

Ruby smiled, face full of crumbs. "Pwease! Ah do dis 'll da time."

Anu shrugged, "Then don't let me stop you."

They ate in a pregnant silence. "You like stories?" Anu spoke, trying to break the awkwardness.

Ruby nodded, cheeks less full. "Love stories. Especially fairy tales."

Anu pondered for a moment, "Any reason why?"

Ruby smiled, "Well, apart from Yang reading them every time she got when we were younger; i just like happy endings, people of good and justice helping people out and stopping evil, epic romances, weird creatures, and stuff like that."

Anu 'hmm'ed again. "Any favorites?"

Ruby thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Love them all for their own unique ways."

There was another pause of silence. "Why are you out here? Truly." Anu asked.

Ruby seemed to redden a hue, she hoped their conversation would derail the topic of her being in the kitchen. "I have insomnia. Sometimes I have trouble getting to sleep."

Anu grimaced, "Can i help in anyway? Help you sleep somehow?"

Ruby shook her head, "Has to go out on its own." Munching on one of the last cookies left, sighing. "Well, in the matter of news; Weiss seems to be trying to be nicer."

Anu had to fight a laugh. He thought it was a joke. "Truly?"

"Yup!" She chirped. "At first she had am issue with me being leader 'n stuff and now... she seems better, happier about it, more willing to help."

Anu nodded. "Good. That's very good." He leant in his seat, "I'm curious what my own leader will be. He's a... odd one."

"I'm sure he'll be a good leader." Ruby forced a bit. She personally didn't like Raf at all. He was a pig.

"One can only hope." Anu nodded, standing up. "Oh dear. It's after twelve."

Ruby blinked, "Crap! We gotta get back."

"Agreed." They walked back stealthy to the dorm section, making sure to avoid security cameras. While it'll take them a bit to respond, Beacon's security will undoubtedly wake everyone up in their pursuit to yell in their ears.

Where, upon arriving at their destination, Ruby leant against her door. "Thanks, Anu."

He tilted his head slightly in puzzlement. "For what?"

Ruby blinked, blushing again. "Uhhh... not sure. Walking me to my room? Talking to me late into the night? Not eating all of my cookies?"

He chuckled, "I only had two."

"Just... thanks... and goodnight. See ya tomorrow." Ruby smiled, pulling out her Scroll.

"Ruby Rose, if I may be so bold?" Anu stood a bit taller.

Him using her full name put her off. That's her mother's name. It felt odd to hear it out loud again. "Yes?"

"I humbly ask if you would consider me using my hypnosis on you." Anu bowed slightly at the neck.

"Uhh like the thing you did with Jaune?"

He nodded.

"I don't know, Anu." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"I assure you, it will only relax you. Help speed sleeps way. Several blinks and you'll be dreaming." He smiled reassuringly.

Ruby thought of it, "I..." She was honestly a bit curious. "... I guess I'll give it shot."

Anu seemed almost ecstatic.

[][[[[[[

Anu was taking in the surroundings, letting Ruby getting comfortable in her top bunk. Quietly of course, though she reassured him her team slept like the dead.

"Ready!" She whispered, snug in her sheets.

Anu nodded, "Look into my eyes."

After several seconds, Ruby felt... it was an odd sensation. Like that time she went to a dentist and they put her on meds for a cavity.

The voice seemed to come from everywhere next, like a whisper next to both of her ears. "There is no wait. No want. No moment of need or desire. Only rest, relaxation, peace... breathe."

[][[]]]]

Anu almost laughed when Ruby's head 'plopped' into the pillow.

Anu carefully closed the door to team RWBY.

Creeping back into his own quarters was of far greater ease, Rhaine's snoring drowning any sound he could have potentially made. He stripped to his small-clothes and proceeded to slip under his cover, feeling oddly tired again. Sleep was more distant, but claimed him nevertheless.

[][[[[[

"You're so oddly open now. Friendly even." Priest smiled at him, lying by Anu's side. Bloody clumps of hair stuck where his very large ears used to be, though he didn't seem burdened by them.

"I try." Anu replied. "I don't feel as angry anymore. I feel... hopeful."

Priest's smile receded, "Move forward, son." He seemed paler then he remembered, his lips a dark blue. "Feel fear, but... don't let regret..." He continued speaking but the words could be heard as a high pitched din filled wherever Anu was.

"What?! Father! What is that?!"

The din cut off, Priest opened his mouth. It didn't close. His eyes glossed over.

"This... this can't be real..." Anu said to himself.

Swathes of black ichor flowed out from Priest's mouth, ears and eyes, quickly filling the space up to his mid-section, as he continued laying down. He could not move.

He looked down through the bile and saw... terror. He and Priest had lain upon a mound of countless corpses. Though not as dead as they appeared, as they vengefully grabbed out of the lake of black and pulled Anu down deeper into the pitch, as he screamed out in utter horror. Breath leaving. Hope fading. And life-

[][[[[

Anu shot up from his bed, gasping for air. A thin sheen of sweat had soaked into his blankets and coverings, the lightless room momentarily seemed pandemic of paranoia, as he searched for any movement that denoted harm or malevolence.

His breathing slowed as he regained his senses. He wiped a hand threw his hair, 'That was... definitely a dream.' But that's impossible, he couldn't dream.

He had to get out of bed and take a shower, or he was going to be rank. They already had one smelly male on the team.

'It had to have been the recent use of my Akuma. I've interacted with two minds today, one was extremely deep in the unconsciousness. Maybe one or both left a residual spark of their essences and it allowed me to dream. 'Have nightmares, more like.'

He left the shower after two minutes, rubbing his head down with his towel, noticing from the room's electronic clock that it was almost six in the morning.

'Damn.' He knew Rhaine would get up first, followed by Shora and then Raf. He should be safe in getting his next uniform (without the bullet hole) without fear.

'Wonder if breakfast is open yet?'

"Anu- you-alright?" Shora jumped from out of the door way and made him drop his towel, arms up in a defensive posture and almost yelling out. She smiled victoriously, "Vengeance."

Priest sighed, "Well... that's what i get." He then rubbed his neck, "I'm fine, just a really bad nightmare."

Shora nodded, "I gathered. Want to talk about it?"

Anu shook his head, "No thank you."

Shora looked down at Anu again, trying to avoid blushing. "You can put your towel back on."

He chuckled sadistically, "Yes. Yes, I can."

THEN Shora she blushed.

"Uhhh what the hell..." Rhaine groaned, "are you bastards do-" she looked over the end of her bed at the pair. "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON YA PERV!"

[][[

**Well, that's day two :D I think the appropriate thing to do next is skip several days or even a couple weeks. Introduce how they've settled with each other :)**

**Also, since the new star wars episode seven trailer came out, I may be irking closer to making my skeleton of a Star wars fanfic a reality in the near future :D**

**Anyways! See ya guys next! Pleasant day!**


	17. Sometimes Y

**Yello! :D New chapter. Been real busy. Need a vacation x) Anyways, here's me experimenting still. Not sure what the primary ship will be (haha the 'flag' ship) but I think I have a good idea with others :) will take any suggestions, tips or whatever maybes for this.**

**Theficsarecomig!**

**[]]]]]]][[]**

"Oh god, please don't mention that ever again..." Rhaine sighed, slumping in her seat at the cafeteria some.

"C'mon! It was funny!" Raf laughed.

"I still have nightmares about that plush..." Rhaine continued, rubbing her face.

He and his partner were speaking with Pyrra and Jaune about anything funny that happened over the past week. The story Raf described made Jaune as green as he was om the airship, while Pyrra stared, forcing herself to keep her mouth closed.

Most had adjusted to the schools scheduling, classes and drills by now. Sparring matches were almost universally loved for each their own ways. Raf and Dove from CRDL made a small gambling system with the matches, gaining both compadres a mix result of wealth and poverty.

Anu and Blake often sat next to each other every other workday, using the lunch time for revisal for their last tutoring session. They've had an apparent arrangement since he managed to catch up the Blake, she'd teach him how to read and write and he would...

'Actually, I'm not sure how he's paying her back.' A certain crimson clad maiden pondered. Ruby was surprised he asked Blake for help. Not that he blamed him, she was very smart, to the point and pretty patient, good elements for any teacher. Despite knowing this, she was annoyed slightly by him going to her partner instead of herself. 'Maybe not annoyed... feels different then annoyed. A bit. Bugs me a lot more than being annoyed.'

"... and then Shora-Bora shot her wind-tunnel thingy and sent Ren into a Stinging-Meadow five meters away!" Nora giggled and laughed.

"It was two meters." Ren corrected as he continued reading his small book of poetry, snacking on finger food off his tray every so often.

Ruby was brought back to reality from the banter. "Still though, how young were you all?"

"Ten." Ren answered.

"We were nine." Nora smiled.

Yang whistled in amazement, "You unlocked your Semblance as a kid?"

Shora looked up a moment from her book, 'To kill a Nevermore'. "Yes."

Weiss hummed before saying, "That's...almost scary."

Shora shrugged, continuing to read her story.

[][

"So, 'i' before 'e' except after 'c'?" Anu tried to explain vocally to Blake.

She nodded, "That's a corner of Remnatian, keep that in mind I'm sure you'll get the hang of writing faster."

Anu scratched his scalp, "But... what of these words?" He picked up one of his practice/note sheets, where he had a small list of words, notably 'achieve', 'caffeine' and several others.

'Ah damn...' "Well... this language isn't perfect. It's a melting pot of different tongues that have been refined to the point it is now. Some kinks will have to be fixed eventually." Blake grimaced.

Anu 'hmm'ed. "I see. Why not adopt a language which has already reach a level of refinement that confusion or mistakes such as this, as a trade language, would not exist?"

Blake thought, not exactly sure herself before remembering, "The Four Kingdoms have had a bit of... difficult history. Over a hundred years ago, a global war erupted. This destroyed entire civilizations, some people who didn't have technology advanced enough were out right destroyed in the crossfire between factions. As a result, resentment was inevitable. I would think that Vacuo would hate having Vala as a language, while Mistral would absolutely disagree at having Atlasian as one. As an agreement, and hope for growing unity, Remanation was created. It... took a couple decades to hammer out the initial kinks, but eventually every child of the following generations knew Remnatian as a first or second language."

Anu thought for a moment, "I see. Why was there a war?"

Blake coughed a bit, "Are you trying to derail the language lesson?"

Anu laughed, "What can I say? I enjoy it when you describe events, rather than me bumbling questions."

Blake scoffed in good humor, "Flattery will get you nowhere here."

Anu gave a faux disappointed look, "You certain? I can think of several flattering remarks at the moment, to at least soften the lash of my harsh instructor."

Blake actually laughed from that, mostly from the face he made. "I'll bet."

"Muun-ar viscarai, rai-qua pat'or nashkua." He smiled at her... was that a flirty look? Blake couldn't tell if he was teasing, playing, flirting or a bizarre mix of two or three.

Blake rolled her eyes, "Don't know even a thimble of what you just said."

He smiled humorously, both eyes closed. "Good."

Blake shook her head, "You're really an odd guy, you know that?"

"By 'odd' do you mean-" Anu's comment was cut off by a yelp of surprise and pain from a nearby table.

Anu closed his eyes and sighed, "Is Cardin agitating Velvet once more?" Asking Blake who managed a look.

"Yeah."

Without a beat, Anu stood from his seat, picking up his sword. "Rhaine." He didn't yell, but his voice seemed to carry weight of their own.

"Yeah what now, Priest?" She spat.

Anu gestured with his head towards the debacle underway and her allegiance with the man was firmly, if temporarily, iron clad.

[[[[]

"Mister Winchester." Anu demanded, he and Rhaine walking to team CRDL who currently surrounded Velvet. "You do recall our agreement, the first time something similar to this occurred?" He noticed Velvet was rubbing her ears, "Though it was not physical."

The behemoth of a human stood from the table, minimizing the distance between him and Anu in an attempt to intimidate. While Anu was tall, he towered over him by a head and his breadth of shoulders and muscle mass made his stature that more imposing. He smiled what one would call victoriously or arrogantly, "Hard to forget. Was so full of manners that a party in Atlas could learn a few lessons."

Anu took a breath, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. Rhaine on the other hand, "So you ignore the warning?"

Cardin laughed, "What's a pansy like him and a freak like you gunna do to me?"

"She will beat you." Anu sighed, "Horribly so. Agitate her enough, push the right stimuli and insults, she will torture or she might even kill you."

Rhaine stared at Anu, "Dude! Wh-"

Anu closed his eyes, "I, on the other hand, would be much worse." His voice seemed an octave deeper and more menacing, "I would do nothing to you, as you are. Absolutely nothing. That alone, should terrify one to complying with a beneficial agreement for all it pertains."

Velvet seemed extremely agitated by the commotion caused by her part. "P-please, no one should fight. We can all-"

"Velvet, you are a second year Hunter at Beacon." Rhaine hissed, "To let these fucktards walk all over you isn't just shameful to you, but to your team."

"Rhaine." Anu looked to his partner. "Insulting the injured party is not why we are here."

Cardin lifted his chin, "What are you here for tough guy?"

Anu looked to Velvet, more distraught over Rhaine's comment. "I am here to offer Miss Scarlatina a place to have a meal with us. Share words, share silence, we will accompany her." Anu knew Velvet was a strict isolationist when it comes to meals and studying, but he knew he had to push her into uncomfortable terrain in order to protect her.

Rhaine growled lowly, 'Was hoping to break a food tray up this guy's ass...'

Velvet hesitantly added, "I... that's no-"

Anu pleaded, "Please, i must insist. We are concerned for you."

Anu initially thought his plea would be for not, but Velvet, after a moment, silently picked up her tray and maneuvered threw team CRDL, some paces behind the pair.

"If you approach another in such an agitating fashion once more:" Anu opened his eyes, his Akuma practically begging to be let loose, evident by a glow, "you will pay for you and your teams transgressions." Before turning to rejoin his table.

Rhaine spat, "Yea, what the idiot said."

Anu reverted, pouting childishly, "Why am i an idiot? I'm told my vocabulary is very developed."

"That's like asking 'Why is water wet'." She scoffed after turning around and the rejoined the table, plus another.

Cardin wasn't exactly peeved by Velvets retreat, "See ya around, Priest." Smiling still.

[][[[[[]

"Welcome to our merry band of lunch Velvet!" Yang welcomed her warmly, arms open over the table.

"T-Thank you." Velvet sat down silently.

Nora pouted, kicking Anu's leg under the table making the man jump up in the seat and groan lightly.

"Ya shoulda broke his legs!" Nora then grinned sadistically, "Imagine that guy in a wheelchair..."

Anu shrugged, "A wound heals. He would have likely returned in a worse form."

Nora mumbled something about 'making it permanent'. After that, the table dissolved back into its normal drawl of talking and eating.

Sitting next to his pale brunette companion, he noticed she didn't intend on continuing the review, or talking at all for that matter. She seemed to be more focused on her plate, occasionally glimpsing at Anu, Rhaine and Velvet.

Blake placed a hand on his wrist, not looking at him. "Thank you."

Anu smiled cheerfully 'eyes closed' way, "You're welcome."

[][[[[[

"Ahhh Messiahs assless chaps!" Raf groaned loudly as he stood up from being grounded by Ren once more, "Some voodoo bullshit is happening! I can shoot a grapefruit off a buddies noggin', on a moving ship, going fourty miles per hour, a league away!"

Ren smiled innocently, "By league do you mean a meter?"

Raf growled, bringing up his pistols once more, letting loose several bolts.

Ren raised his Semblance, easily deflecting the shots into the barely visible training barrier that surrounded the ring. As he lowered the defense to see what his opposition may be doing different, he saw him smash a fist sized capsule into the ground, powder at first being the only result of its explosion before it quickly spread into a thick fog.

"Isn't your Semblance invisibility?" Ren scoffed.

"Shut your pie hole, pinkie." The Barian replied.

"Pinkie? That the best you got?" Before getting smacked across the face with the end of his pistol. While his Aura was up, Ren didn't take maximum damage, but still had a part of his lip split open.

"C'mon, where's that kung-foo bullshit I saw earlier?" Raf apparently retreated after the strike.

Ren finally pulled out his own dual weapons, wiping a small build of blood on his forehand. "Where's that gumption you were swinging around? Hitting and running? Didn't know I threw you into landing on your vagina."

[][[[[

Nora yelled out, "OOOOO BURN!"

Shora sighed, "Never understood the insult of that. Vaginas give birth. They're obviously tougher then penises."

Yang laughed at the comment, though it wasn't meant to sound funny. "Hahahaha! Holy shit! You can say they were made to 'take a pounding'. Am I right?"

**[[[[[]]{{**

**So yea! :D chapter seventeen everyone!**

**Kinda a filler x) need some time to build from the stories skeleton :)**

**Favorite or follow if you judge thus worthy, review if thou desirest to ferment progress, or well wishing! Farewell!**

**[][[**


	18. Overcompensating

**When I think of this new ensemble of OCs with RWBY I somehow always think of the Avengers. Anu is the classical warrior Thor, Shora is techno savvy Iron Man, Rhaine is the patriotic Captain and Raf is... definitely NOT the Hulk XD never mind then? Haha there will be more OCs revealed soon :) notably other second years like team CFVY. There will be other first years as well, some will be transfers from different institutions, and others will be later recruitments :)**

**I also beg for assistance, for one to proof plot ideas, characters, and so on, and give honest feedback and opinions, please PM me if you are up for the job and we will plan from there.**

**Enoughofthefuture,ontothenow!**

[[[[][[[[

-Four years ago-

_"I will kill them all." The masked man stated calmly. "Every single one that is responsible, everyone that stands in my way." The man's mask was a stark contrast to the ones the White Fang members wore. Mostly black with touches of silver and gold, an actual snout that covered the entirety of the face, and two triangular ears at the top. The man's mop of grey, almost white, hair occasionally framing the mask, an apparent representation of a dog of some kind._

_The White-Fang cell leader, his Grimm mask having a single streak down its middle, scoffed, "You have some major balls seeking us out, but telling me that you'll take on the entirety of a Kingdom, what hunters and military that will also come to its aid..." He finally laughed, "The entirety of the White Fang don't have the strength, numbers or resources to challenge a lesser nation, let alone one of the Big Four."_

_The man paused, red eyes fixed on the leader. He hummed lowly before speaking, "Do you think I will avoid fighting, merely because they are stronger?" He waved a hand, "Their strength is built upon the trust of tools, individuals, and machines that can turn to be a part of their doom as quickly as a flick a wrist or a smell in the wind." He looked at the cell leaders lieutenants, "What me and my cohorts offer is a strength of one, power that has not be seen by even the Hunters. Power that we..." The group gasped as eight others behind the man seemingly walked out of the living shadows, each wearing their own strange and unique masks, "Are willing to teach you, give you, if you but swear your strength-to-come to two words:" His eyes flashed red, a growling rumble in his voice as he spoke, "Burn Atlas."_

[[[[[[]][[[[

Ren panted as he pressed his Semblance to the limit once more in deflecting a barrage of bullets from his opponent, the fog lifting only slightly.

"Come on!" Raf yelled out, "Try to find me!"

Ren scoffed mentally. 'This guy isn't as smart as he thinks he is.' Ren did notice the makeshift mines he placed around the ring. In fact, that may have sped their maker's downfall rather than his own.

Ren made Ezekiel this was a siege. Ren smiled, "Don't need to find you." Redeploying his weapons out of his sleeves.

A tense silence filled the arena. Ren closed his eyes, focusing his sense. The fog... 'The idiot.' Ren thought.

"Well wh-" Raf was cut off when Ren shot the mine nearest to him. The explosion sent the fog away from the area, "Shit!" The force smacked into him with enough force that he had to cover his face.

*click*

Raf sighed. 'Fuck me...' He looked up and saw two gleaming, bayonetted sub machine guns pointing at his face.

"The winner is Ren Lee." Goodwitch declared.

[][[[

Raf heaved in exhaustion, "Ah well shit..."

Ren's weapons slid back his sleeves, presenting his hand to his former opponent. "Good match."

Ezekiel rolled his shoulder, "Good throw." Taking his hand and shaking it. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

The two began walking off the arena, "My father taught me, we have a unique form of martial arts."

Ren chuckled before hissing as he rolled his shoulder once more, "God damn... not sure if I want to find your old man or avoid him at all cost."

Ren smiled, "I assure you, more of the latter."

[[[[[]

Raf sat down between Shora Rhaine, folding both of his arms around their necks. "Sorry honeys, seems I'm on an off day..."

Rhaine cracked her neck, venom dripping as she threatened, "Remove the arm, or lose it."

"Like wise." Shora commented, bit still reading.

Raf chuckled, retracting his arms. "Who am to deny the requests of such visions of beauty?"

Everyone in team ARES, Anu included, rolled their eyes at that.

[[[[[]

Anu however, eyed the next match with far more interest. Cardin Winchester was facing Jaune Arce.

The interest soon took a turn for the worst, as the young Arce was easily overpowered and defeated. It wasn't the fact that Jaune took a beating from the brute, but the fact he took with such... lack of form, strategy, the word 'speed' would be insulted if Anu had to state the lacking of.

'What manner of...' Anu seethed mentally. 'That he should be a leader, having others not only wanting but HAVING to rely on his strength...' He had to take meditative breaths in order for his mood not to sour from the line of thought.

"The victor is Cardin Winchester." Goodwitch declared.

"Professor!" Cardin yelled, "Can I have another match?" Eyeing a crimson eyed man in the seats.

[[[[[

Anu paced to the ring, discarding his school jacket, leaving him in his white shirt, receiving a cat call from Yang before she yelled, "Show us more!" Wiess face palming.

Cardin smiled eagerly, "Any words of mercy?"

"I have no quarrel with you, Winchester." Anu stood in position across from the man.

Cardin chuckled sadistically, "I'll beat the shit out of another freak in the audience if you don't fight me."

Anu's face irked somewhat, "I now have a quarrel with you." Securing the leather bandolier, before putting his hands up in a fighting posture, one open palm low, another palm held high.

Cardin scoffed, "Draw your sword."

Anu blinked, smiling somewhat though seemed more humorous then foreboding. "As you wish." He dropped the pose before reaching for the hilt of Shu.

[[[]][[[[

The entirety of those who watched the match almost fell over in shock.

Ruby giddily smiled, 'H-Hes going to actually use his sword!'

In all the time she's known him, even in the Emerald forest trial, he's never once used his blade. She was almost hopping in her seat as the first glimpses of the blade meeting the scabbard were shown. The excitement...

Ruby starred, eyes in a disbelieving, underwhelming shock as she watched on. "Huh?!"

[[[[]][

Anu pulled out his 'sword', the copper blade a little over the length of a knuckle despite the huge sheath. Holding it with both hands, he smiled, "Beware the wrath of Shu!"

Cardin started laughing uncontrollably, dropping his mace, hand over face. "Profes- haha!- Professor Goodwitch- HAHA!- how did this guy get into Beacon with a weapon like that?!"

Goodwitch's expression was the epitome of spite as she glared at Anu. 'This... this boy, he made rivers of blood, killed elderly, women, children in his little war, committed crimes against humanity so horrid that one had to question if one could be so deprived...' Her stare turned even icier, 'Why is this boy like this?' She recognized him. Was one of the few who saw him without his mask, but... THIS?!

"Anu Pri-"

Before the professor spoke another syllable, Anu dashed from his position, flinging Thoth from its holster, as Cardin turned, his heart skipped a beat as the blade was a bare centimeter from his unprotected throat.

'Silent as the grave' wouldn't be able to describe the utter null of sound.

Anu's face was serious, but not angry or confronted, just... plain. He said lowly to the human, "You can underestimate anything but one topic; an enemy." He retracted Thoth, looking at his judge, the briefest moment of recognition sparked between the two before he asked, "Have i claimed this session as victor?"

Goodwitch glared before regaining her composure, "Anu Priest is the winner." She declared threw gritted teeth.

Cardin growled in utter disgust, "You fucking cheat."

Anu shook his head, more akin to a disappointed instructor, "A true victory is a fight one does not have to commit to. Take that advice as you may." Anu turned his back on the man. Cardin had half a mind to strike him now, sneak attack this bastard as repayment and made sure he bled good from it, but knew that with a professor and all the first years looking on, he'd lose serious face, as well as a couple of other consequences.

'I can wait. Revenge is best served cold, after all.'

[[[[[][[[[[

"That's it?!" Nora yelled out, as Anu sat with his team. "I thought that weapon was gunna be an ultimate, super-duper laser sword or something!"

Pyrra had to nod at that, "I also admit, I was expecting much more."

"Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong..." Jaune rubbed his hands together, "he brought a letter opener to a Hunter fight, but he actually WON. Which is better?"

Ren shrugged, "Besides, it was nice and short."

Nora giggled, "That's NOT what she said."

[[[[][[[

"You are the strangest creature I have ever met." Shora shook her head at Anu.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled.

Rhaine was painfully, extremely close to commenting on the fight, but bit her tongue. She knew she'd give away a couple of things, subjects that could impede both of their training here.

Raf was still laughing, "Dude... and here i thought you were overcompensating for something with that sword."

Anu blinked, "What do you mean? Have you noticed a flaw in my technique?"

Raf groaned, "You're pulling my chain, right? Over compensating...?" Waving his hand in a 'suggestive' fashion. It was just a hand rolling around his wrist.

Shora watched on, interested in how he would react.

"... Compensating...? Blocking? Speed? Reach?" He asked, gaining further levels of confusion.

Raf finally sighed, "Forget it." Feeling oddly defeated, "Let's just say reach for now."

Anu shrugged, "Alright."

Shora shook her head, reading her book. "His reach isn't a problem."

Their leader blinked at the blonde, "Did you just compliment his...?"

Anu's attention was focused on her as well, a mix between eager to learn and concerned he missed something in his technique, "What is the issue then, friend?"

She shrugged, "From what I've seen; nothing." Turning a page, "I couldn't recall one who has a greater reach."

Anu blew a breath of relief, "Ah, thank you!" He beamed.

Now it was Raf's turn look confused, "We are talking about the same thing right?"

[[[[[][[[

That's when Anu noticed Rhaine was oddly silent in this banter, she's usually the one that bully's the discussion to silence, not that he saw it as bad. Some of the subjects Shora and Raf bring up are a little controversial.

Rhaine is among the two in the room that knew that what was seen as 'Shu' was a ruse. 'Perhaps seeing the weapon, or the possibility of me using once more agitated her?'

If it was a large issue, shed undoubtedly tell him, though knowing the details, would wait for privacy.

'It was a murderers' weapon, after all.'

[[[[[][[[[[[

END OF CHAPTER

[[]]]]\\\\]]]]]

Shora placed down her book, "Yes, I was complimenting his penis." She stated flatly.

Raf choked on something invisible, coughing violently.

Rhaine starred at both her and Anu, a blush on her face. "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT HIS P-PENIS LOOKS LIKE?!"

Anu himself was glowing crimson, eyes in a state of shock.

"I saw him after he came out of the shower a couple weeks ago. I scared his towel off, he forgot to bring clothes into the bathroom with him." Again, equally as unaffected by the subject.

[[|

Some meters away, Yang suddenly had a serious look on her face.

Ruby nudged her and asked in concern, "Yang? Is everything alright?"

She looked to her, eyes red, "Perversion senses... tingling..." She stood up, following the sixth sense.

[[[]\

**Okay, that's end of that for now! XD and I'm not making Yang slutty or anything, she's actually my favorite character in RWBY. I just think that her being a bit of a perv (specifically for extremely attractive men) kinda suits her, gives a bit of comedy, and it's a nice change up on how the males have to be the humorous perverts. If its a bit too OOC (I think that's the acronym for 'out-of-character') i can tone it down if it takes away from who Yang is x)**

**Pleasant day! Favorite/Follow if you like the story, review if you noticed flaws to fix, critique, tip or talk and I'll see you guys next time!**


	19. That Awkward Question

**Ya know that vacation I mentioned? That sounds really, really, really good right now haha apologies, but I've been required elsewhere, my planet needed me, what can i say? X)**

**To Captain Capri: Thank you! :D Now thats a land mark XD**

**To K Wolf Omega: I think he puts childrens tears in it, if he stops drinking he'll start aging X) and the height is an absolute 'DO NOT MAKE FUN OF' XD**

[[[][[[]][

(Seven hours before the 'Virmaeda Incident', four years ago)

_"The Crusader is prepared." The masked man stated, "All eight Masters and their Apostles also ready. They're waiting on us." He quickly added._

_"Patience my friend, patience." While 'Demon' isn't much taller than himself, the man had an armored bulk and his presence had a resounding effect of dread and barely contained madness. "We shall meet them in time." The Jackal mask's burning red eyes looks at his partner, apprentice and perhaps as close to a friend he has in the state he's in. "How fares your weapon?"_

_"Juliana." He replied lowly, voice almost breaking from saying the name aloud._

_Demon was off balance mentally a moment. The name also effecting him, at a close but different level then his compadre. "It is a good name. I... doubt she'd appreciate it however." When he began pacing out of the room, the man following suit._

_"She is the reason for me making this. Hope? Change?" He shook his head, "I won't use this-" bringing up 'Juliana' into view, the katana covered by its sheath, the brim where handle met carrier adorned with technology that Demon couldn't truly recognize. "-for anything but revenge."_

_Demon eyed him wearily, the cavernous tunnel they were walking a pitch dim that humans would undoubtedly be lost in, two pairs of red eyes, both hidden by masks walked side by side. He hummed before saying, "Use the weapon to avenge her death, do not die yourself..." Turning his head at his first and only Apostle, the one who drank his life's blood and heard the Song of the Blackheart with him, "... Adam."_

[[[[[][

Blake closed the book with a resounding clap of pages, a private ritual she had when she complete a story from cover to cover. 'That ending was horrendous.' She sat back into the chair, breathing out of her nose. The library was magnificently desolate during weekdays, something she took full advantage of when she could. She gave an almost paranoid look around before fishing her journal out of her pack. Writing in the day's thoughts, as well as a couple of doodles. One happened to be what she could recall of a Grimm she saw a glimpse of in Vytal. Massive bastard, covered in spurs. Was one of those 'smart' Grimm and actually bugged out when it saw the caravan she was with. She was around nine or so, traveling with a White Fang 'Displeasure Cruise' as they called it, going to picket a titanium mine.

The next was... quite different. She drew Anu's sword. She narrowed her eyes at the image, remembering a former comrade of hers. Despite the clear aesthetic differences, she couldn't help but draw connections. Not only to Taurus's sword, but to another's.

She shook her head, 'No. THAT is stretching it.' She rolled the idea before, 'besides, not only was it a dupe, it had a sheath.' She sat back again, 'The Demon of Atlas's sword was always drawn.'

Blake had to suppress a shudder. 'That... son of a bitch scares me more as a young adult then a very big Grimm did as a child.' She closed her eyes, 'Besides, the man's dead.' Opening them, "And good riddance." She spoke aloud.

"AHH CHOO!" Anu rubbed his nose as he walked to Blake. The woman shot out of her chair and stood on edge on top of one of the bookshelves.

Anu eyed her cautiously, "Ihtah?" He muttered. "Blake, Omas'ah doto?"

Blake breathed out in relief, before looking at him with tint of embarrassment and frustration, "Don't know what you just said." She massaged the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes, "What are you doing here?"

Anu snapped his fingers, "Sorry. That slipped. Bad habit. Are you alright Blake?"

She nodded lazily, "Yes, yes."

"Aren't we having a lesson today?" Sounding confused, "Did i get the days confused again?"

Blake blinked, 'Damn, completely forgot about it.' "Oh... I uh, if it's alright with you, can us not do this today?"

Anu bowed his head slightly, "Of course." He eyed the book on the table behind her, "Oh my, those drawings are excellent!" He smiled broadly.

Blake turned slightly red before she flashed to the book, shoved it back in her back pack and returned to the spot she was standing in, picking the edges of her finger nails uncomfortably. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow then."

Anu held up a hand, "I beg your pardon Miss Belladonna, but can I ask you something?"

'Better not be about the book...' She noded at him.

[[[[[][

Rhaine bit out a massive dent of the turkey leg. She almost swooned at the taste. 'God have mercy on my soul, for id sell it if i could eat this beast every day.' She took out another hunk of flesh, the moan almost escaping her throat.

"I gotta say it, 'cause I'm sure Shora's also thinking it." Raf said, a Rho-Stick smoking between his fingers, sitting at the same table of the restaurant. "But you look strangely erotic when munching on that fowl." The steaming Millsberry Steak in front of him, barely eaten, putting the Tabaco stick out.

Shora looked up from her book, 'A tale of three Kingdoms', "I wasn't thinking that."

Rhaine scoffed, "Don't you ever get your head out of the gutter?"

He munched on a piece of steak, "Not really... hell, I doubt it. I mean once, there was this funeral-"

Rhaine slammed her dinner knife into the table, "You're going to want to stop right there, Barian."

Raf put up his hand, smiling from barely contained laughter, "No no, you'll want to listen to this, it was hilari-"

"Funny to you, but to others a way that defines the word 'creepy'?" Rhaine cut him off.

Raf paused, his mouth open before saying, "I wouldn't say 'creepy'..."

Shora sighed, putting her book down. "Going to refer to how you were aroused by a corpse while it was being surrounded by its loved ones in mourning?"

Raf chuckled awkwardly, "It wasn't the corpse... just... you know, the widow."

Rhaine rolled her eyes, "Why you're leader, I have no idea."

He shrugged, smugly adding, "Ozzy knew I have a way with women."

[[[[[[][[[[

**The doggy likes the turkey! :D haha**

**To any-one who wishes intense discussion, possible spoilers and dipping your fingers in the ink of an epic story in the coming; please help me out! XD seriously, I require assistance in pacing and what to write next as a chapter, kinda hit a wall.**

**See ya'll next time, ya hear! :D (Always wanted to say that ^u^)**

**[[**


	20. Goats: The Harbingers of Death

**I HAVE RETURNED! Not with a vengeance, just with a mild dislike of hornets and various flying/stinging pests.**

**Timetoforageontothefiction!**

Also: [_random words_] the brackets mean rough translations. They don't mean the roughest in an English/Remnatian equivalent.

**[][[[[**

_Five years ago._

][

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" The massive, portly though easily seen as muscular quartermaster inquired anxiously.

"Yeah. The natives shouldn't bother me any. Besides, I'm just checking out a couple of plants." The messy mop of orange hair smiled before she waved back at the man as she left, "Keep the insta-meals hot while I'm away."

[[][[[[

The watering hold near the edge of the forest was... filthy for a lack of a better word. The water a light brown color from the run off of nearby cliffs and build ups of sediment. Though she's certain none of these 'Shira-Kai' guys would drink from the place, the clay base around the lake was surrounded with abundant life, flora that prospered from the rich moisture and mineral content.

Juliana slid on her pair of thick, heavy duty gloves she uses to manipulate her samples. She used the almost armored manipulators before she came on the expedition, though considering reports from a couple other botanists around the area she managed to hear that some of planets were either very sharp, very poisonous or both. One man had been put in the medical ward of the airship from his very first sample. If that wasn't bad luck, she didn't know what was.

She snipped a loose leaf off a wilting but still very colorful... 'Looks like a lily. I'll call it a... Filly.'

[[[][[[[

"No idea." Anubis mumbled to his companion. The later 'bayed' in response. "It's not like they walk around wearing a sign that says what they are doing for the day." He maneuvered some, fidgeting in the brush he took residence in for the night.

He took notice of the woman some minutes ago, when he was making his return home. While he'd prefer to think he's making unbiased observation, a rather large portion of his conscious knew this was extremely stalkery.

The woman in question was another Faunus, though what kind, he couldn't say. She had red-orange hair, with pale skin, two horns curving up above her brow and very pretty green eyes. You don't see any of those features anywhere here. Anubis wasn't quite certain that if she walked openly into the village without warning or knowing, shed be openly embraced. The Grimm can possess a remarkable sense of cunning, sometimes greater than the most legendary General, and would consider her at least a chance of being some new form of trap.

The goat that found him during the morning was at first very confused but became fast friends after he shared a bit of his breakfast with him. "Bah."

Anubis smiled evilly, before humming, "Maybe she would appreciate some company."

[[][[[[

Juliana whistled a tune as she finished taking several samples to test at the camp. Wiping her brow free of the gathering condensation from the oppressive, sweltering heat, she swore she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, her vision darted to see nothing of note.

She sighed, 'The sun must be getting to my brain.' She scratched roughly a section of hair under her left horn. 'My kingdom for a cold shower.'

[][[[[[[

"You know what to do?"

The goat swayed its head some.

"I'll take that as a yes." Before forcing the first stage of his Akuma forth and stared into the beasts' eyes.

[]][[[

Juliana's attention was rapidly brought to ruffling shrubs near the rough path she walked on. 'Oh shit.' She was close to bolting away in the belief it was some kind of predator starved for flesh in this harsh ecosystem.

'Just run... if it catches up I'll-'

A brown coated goat galloped out of the vegetation, staring at Juliana with curiosity. Juliana exhaled before laughing lightly in relief. "Oh god that nearly gave me-"

"BAAAAAHHHH!" A voice behind her loudly bayed.

The Faunus screamed in utter terror as she started sprinting down the path.

Anubis fell over, clutching his side in pain from laughing so hard. The goat wondering over to his flank. He looked up in teary eyes, "[I didn't sound THAT much like a killer goat]!" He yelled down at the woman.

Juliana paused in step as she heard someone speaking words. She turned to see a man clad only in loose large fabric pants, bare feet digging into the dry path, very tan skin and a mass of light grey hair that fell to his hips. Of all the things she noticed first were the very tall ears atop his head, as silvery as the rest of his mane. Then there was the toothy smile, and warm yellow-orange eyes with a pair of deep red marks under them. Then she realized as her gaze wondered down to his chest and noticed he was very... well endowed. 'Whoa! Focus on the face!'

He was still laughing as he approached, before he was roughly two or so meters away where he spoke, much to Juliana frustration. "[I cannot say I apologize, your face was priceless]." Linking both his arms together then bowing, "[Though I can say, that it is a pleasure to meet you, my lady]." He opened a hand to her, presenting the palm out. "[You may call me Anubis]."

Juliana blinked, 'Language barrier, all hell.' She slowly reached her hand forward and took the hand. "You scared the shit outta me, asshole."

The man didn't seem to know how to take what she said so merely smiled politely. "[May I know your name]?"

She shrugged, speaking slowly, "I. Dont. Know. What. You're. Saying."

'She keeps speaking her own tongue. She may be one of the many who have not communed with a Speaker.' Anubis thought. He pressed a hand to his chest, "Anubis." He straightened the hand out, pointing it to her.

"Ohhh. Juliana." The red head finally got the picture.

Anubis tried to pronounce the name, but sounded like, "Dew-lay-ana?"

"Nooo, Jule-Lee-Anna."

"Jule-Lee-Anna." He repeated.

She smiled, "Good."

Anubis scratched his head, "... [So... what are you doing here]? [Can I help you]?"

"You better not be sayin' anything nasty just 'cause I don't understand you." She scoffed.

Anubis hummed again, the goat pacing by his side. He then reached behind his back, shifting the fabrics of his upper robes out of the way and presented a cylindrical, copper canteen. "[Are you thirsty]?"

She looked between him and the container, "I'm... my immune system might not be able to handle the water like you folk."

Anubis tilted his head slightly. He put a hand to his chin in thought for a moment before gleaming an idea. He opened the cap, using it as a very small cup, leaning the liquid towards her.

She grimaced, "I don't want to offend you but-"

Anubis pointed to his nose.

'He wants me to snort it?' She gingerly took the thimble, she sniffed it, a moment passed before she was able to recognize what it actually was. "Holy shit. Is this booze?" Without waiting for a response, she took a small sip. "Ahhh." She took in the taste, smacking her lips some, "Tastes like pears. A bit sour."

He held the metallic container once more, happily grinning, "[You may have as much wine as you like]."

Juliana more confidentially took the item, swigging two or so mouthfuls back before contently sighing. "Oh my god, you're a saint."

Anubis nodded towards her, acknowledging what she said but no longer sure how to continue what little banter they have had.

Juliana gestured with her head, "You're a gent right? Wanna walk me back home?" She chuckled coyly.

Anubis shrugged, "[Don't know what you spoke, but you have a nice voice]."

The pair walked together on the path, back to Juliana's base camp, talking though not understanding, trading the drink between each other.

"...I mean, Vytal has some really damn hot weather but nothing like this. Maybe I'm more used to, being born there and all, but the guys from Atlas were practically..." She sputtered some in trying to hold back laughter, "Those bastards were practically melting when they got out of the ships."

Anubis shook the spirit, "[Goodness. You must learn to pace yourself, you drink a lot for a woman your size]." She was actually amongst the shortest women he's ever met, roughly five and a half feet.

"You should meet the main guy of our camp, the man would fucking have your babies if you could get us into contact with a brewery or something nearby." Taking another swig.

Anubis groaned pitifully. "[So much for sharing equally]."

Before either knew it, they crossed the small expanse of desert between the gathered forest and the groupings of tents and trailers. While there wasn't much of a need for security, no gates, or anything like that, there were a couple patrols of Atlasian Knights that kept the perimeter, both controlled by a specialist each.

"Well, this is me." Juliana sounded slightly disappointed, "Not sure if I'll see you again. Good luck, and thanks for the drink."

Anubis bowed to her, smiling, "[Till we meet again]."

[][[[[[[

_Now_

[[[][[[

"You what?" Blake deadpanned, a sprawl of disbelief covering her face, as the duo trekked down the halls to their dorms.

"It's not like asking this isn't difficult." Anu pouted, "Frankly, it's quite embarrassing. I ask because I trust you more so then others." He mumbled quietly to himself, "I'm asking for help how to dress myself practically."

Blake rolled her eyes, "That's nice and all but WHY? Why not your team?"

Anu seemed momentarily serious, "They are good people, but... I don't exactly feel comfortable with them." He paused, "And because I have the sense you can keep words as well as secrets, and well."

The momentary silence that followed was stressful. She wasn't quite sure if he was implying anything in particular and the openness of the statement was more ominous to her then reassuring.

"Am I wrong?" He asked, worried from how Blake's face shifted from annoyed to thinly veiled fear.

"No." Blake closed her eyes and sighed, "You're not wrong but..." She gestured to her body, "I'm not exactly the clearest eye of fashion. I'm not sure if I can help you with finding clothes that'll suit you."

Anu shrugged, smiling "If you don't feel comfortable or think you can't or shouldn't, I hold no ill will."

"It's not that." She shook her head, "I don't think I can, and if it isn't too much, I think... my team can help."

What sound Anu made next was a mix between a groan and a choke. "I uh... which?"

"Well..." Blake wondered for a moment, turning into the threshold of the hall which lead to their respective living quarters. "Id think that-" she paused, striding to a halt. "Who is she?"

Anu turned his head at the reference. The notable subject he first noticed was that Nora, Pyrrha and Weiss Schnee had congregated around a fourth person. While at first ignorant of this newcomer, Anu audibly gasped, forcing Blake's bow to flinch from the sharp intake of breath.

Blake watched on as Anu's eyes managed onto the woman, and saw his gaze catch fire. From sheer surprise or disagreement, she wasn't sure.

The woman was clad from head to toe with beautiful robes and garments of orange and black, an elaborate headpiece made out of a combination of copper and gold. She couldn't describe the shape perfectly, looking more like an awkward if gracefully carved set of blocks, one atop the other. The woman had very dark skin, almost pitch in complexion and was only barely inseparable from her obsidian black hair that went down to the back of her legs, and led to two almost comically large fan like ears atop her head. She was for a lack of a better word, stunning, with hazel eyes that were almost yellow, and a very calm and serene smile and while her features were soft and quite feminine, she instantly made a comparison between her and Anu's noses.

[[[[][

"Sahn- Yamhavir?" Anu managed to ask out.

The woman was taken out of the conversation with the threesome that gathered around her, her eyes darting to the end of the hall where Blake and Anu stood. What regal confidence, noble standing and utter aristocratic bearing... "ANUBIS!" Was utterly removed.

She happily charged down the hall arms flailing wildly towards the man. The target sighed in capitulation, 'Uhhh this is going to hurt...'

She slammed into him like she was launched out of a howitzer, the air exploding out of his mouth from his lungs as her shoulder impacted his chest and wrapped her arms around him in a vice like embrace, skidding along the floor until they came to a halt some paces away from where he once stood.

"[Older Brother]!" She ecstatically called out, squeezing him even further.

Anu wheezed, "[Sister, thine acts are literally killing me]."

"Ihtah?" She relented to see his head flop over, breath barely escaping and looking excrementally pale, almost passing out. "[Oh no! Do not die!], she dragged him upright, appearing more unconscious then lucid, his head circling around as he unsteadily stood.

[[[][[[[

Blake just stared in absolute bewilderment and shock. She must've been from wherever Anu had called home, as they both replied fluidly to each other's speech, and the glopping attack laid on by the woman, while more harmful then good, and noted they knew one another at a deeper level then being mere acquaintances.

Anu wearily mewed his pain and sudden exhaustion as the 'attacker' stood him up and patted his clothing of dust, his eyes distant and head circling in nigh unconsciousness.

That is when she noticed Blake's prolonged gaze and she meekly scratched the back of her head and smiled guilty, "Apologies." She replied in perfect Remnatian, almost completely devoid of the accent that plagued her kinsman. "I haven't seen Anubis in over three years."

Blake blinked, "Anubis? His name is Anu."

She started laughing hysterically. "He... He calls HIMSELF that?" Continuing her at first melodic laughter that quickly descended into snorting. She settled to a light chuckle, the three she previously partook in conversation gathered near. "Ah-Nu means 'little heart'. It's something to call a child, or a particularly childish man." She then started another bout of laughter, filled with even more snorting then the one prior.

Anu was suddenly lucid and he blushed, "I didn't wish them to be aware of that, I'll have you know!" Arms strict to his side as he immaturely retorted.

She quickly re-embraced her long lost sibling once more, making sure not to strangle him bit enough that bones could be heard shifting in his body. "[You're the oldest of us, though also the youngest! 'Tis adorable!]" She squealed in delight.

The ensemble watched with a cruel and confused kind of fascination as life slowly left Anu's body once more, before Weiss asked, "How did you get here?"

She quickly dropped Anu, gasping for air once again. She happily smiled, "I apologize again. I was confronted firstly with finding my older brother Anubis. I hadn't introduced myself." She bowed at the waist, "I am Koroma Speaker, I have been sent here as a liaison between this academy and several hopefuls of my kind who will soon attend Beacon."

Anu rapidly regained his composure, "Ihtah?"

[[[[][[[[

Professor Ozpin paced into his office, expecting to find the Shira-Kai representative 'Speaker'. He sighed in resignation as he saw the outline of where the woman had been. He massaged his forehead, "I was away for TWO minutes."

He clicked on his Scroll, "Glynda, can you please track down a woman that will more than likely be in the first year dorms. You'll know her when you see her."

[[[][[[[

"Sooo your actual name is Anubis?" Nora chirped, almost bouncing from barely contained excitement.

'Anubis' scratched his chin sheepishly, blushing a luminescent red, "I-I prefer Anu. It's simpler. Kinder then Anubis."

"What does Anubis mean?" Pyrrha asked, she wasn't sure if she should be offended by the man offering a false name or not.

"Depends." Speaker and Priest shrugged, looking at each other before laughing at the shared comment.

Weiss scoffed mentally, 'Yep. They're family.' "You've been going around and telling people a nick name? Why?" The heiress demanded.

Koroma eyed Anubis, more or less questioning him with her eyes on whether it would be wise to say specifics. "Mahhh, our mother called me it all the time. The village we grew in, everyone called me it. It's almost a habit." Speaker knew it wasn't a lie, mostly a half truth. She wasn't comfortable with wither scenario.

Weiss looked as skeptical as ever, "Really?"

Anu frowned, "I didn't mean to offend you..." He looked at Nora and Pyrrha, "any of you." He bowed deeply to them, "You have my sincerest apologies." He straightened himself, "I will share this information with others as i cross them."

Nora raspberried, "Don't worry about it." She waved her arm, "We got used to Anu, it'd be weird if we had to call ya something else."

Weiss 'hmphed', "Also, when were you going to explain you were a Faunus?"

Anu laughed, "You didn't ask.", he coughed awkwardly, "Besides, I'm not a Faunus." He shrugged, "Not completely at least."

Weiss, uncertain if she was appeased by the answer or distraught by it, left without another word.

Blakes' bow fidgeted some, eyes briefly shifting to diamonds before she managed to regain control. "So you haven't been lying with just your name. I asked you the same question and you said a different answer."

Anu made a face at her, a mix between offended and what she could only describe as condescending, what she saw as a 'you should talk' expression. She wasn't sure if she was reading too much out of it. "I didn't lie. I don't lie, let that be perfectly clear to you." He shrugged, "I will half state, maybe. Forget or omit, but I'll never lie." He crossed his arms.

"That's crap. Half telling the truth is worse than telling a lie." Blake spat back.

Speaker managed to 'smell the embers' of a fire before it was truly set aflame, her slight empathic skills in Ego detecting a nugget of anger from Blake that could quickly spiral out of control and she walked partially in the way of the two, "Anubis..." She pointed at him, looking 'down' at him sternly. "Da dim-hama lofe-i, kepe uchmab."

The two bantered in their own speech, barely if even being understood by the group. The only thing that they happened to gather was that Anu wasn't exactly not used to violent or commanding women, Blake began to crudely if accurately understand how he has managed with that woman Rhaine for this long so well...

"-Nofip-Ak-Anubis!" Speaker finally ended the one sided argument with a final flick to his forehead, which forced the man to react to it by pouting and rubbing the spot tenderly.

He sighed, "Yes mistr-"

"Excuse me!" Goodwitch declared, reverberating down the hall.

Speaker hummed before saying, "Guess my time is out for now." She embraced Anubis once more, whispering, "I left a surprise in your room." Before running off to Goodwitchs' side.

Anu managed to ignore the glare the blonde gave him before she escorted Speaker back to Ozpin.

[][[[[[

Anu laughed awkwardly, "Soooo... that's my little sister."

Pyrrha smiled, "She was nice." She coughed, "I'm heading to library to check on Ren and Jaune. See you there later Nora?"

Nora nodded, smiling from ear to ear, "Wouldn't miss it!" The later leaving.

Nora and Blake stayed, wanting to grill him further. The later of the two more so. "Anything else you wish to share? Before you forget, omit or LIE?" She was clearly angry from the malice she put in the question.

Anu made a wry face, "Blake, with all due respect, I can share how much of my personal information only as much as I like." He opened up both arms, "I..." Sighing. "Listen, I love my family, but they are the only thing of my history I wish to truly keep." He mused, trying to find words for ideas and motives he couldn't explain to himself, "I want to be better. Different then what I was. Anubis is a name I can no longer carry. Anubis..." He shrugged, signing in defeat, "Anubis is no longer who I am." He smiled sadly, "I'm Anu. Anu Priest."

Blake rubbed a lock of hair, looking on still passive but face slightly contorted in anger. "Who were you then? Who was Anubis?"

Anu looked to the side, ashamed. "One who made very... very poor choices." He scoffed cruelly at himself, "I guess some habits die hard."

Nora groaned lightly, "Whys everyone so mopey? He just said he wanted to use a different name? What's the issue?"

Blake closed her eyes, "What are you? Really?"

Anu knew he could answer this one, "I'm a Faunus, of sorts. My tribe's history is... convoluted to say the least. I can't say with certainty I am completely Faunus, but I can say I believe I am more Faunus then anything. Make sense?" He shrugged.

Blake shook her head, "Not really."

Anu sighed, a sense of despair welling up inside him from what he must show her in order to convince of his nature. "Give me your hand."

Blake narrowed her eyes at him, but a moment after slowly placed her left hand out. He gently took it and slowly ran it threw his hair till she came into contact with a pair of large... mounds of some kind atop his head. "My true-ears were forcefully severed five years ago."

Blake's eyes opened wide in horror, taking her hand back.

Nora tilited her head, "Whats that mean?"

Blake had to bite her tongue in order for her voice to stay stable. "Someone cut his Faunus ears off."

[][[[[[


	21. Special Brownies

**Evening ladies and gentlemen! No words currently, just a humble writer, and a humble fanfic.**

**Please enjoy!**

[][[[[

Anu glanced at the curious trio of packages on his bed. The first he was drawn towards was a large stack of boxes, maybe five of them, roughly half a meter in width and length, stacked up. He opened the top most one, and smiled eagerly at the delectable treat Speaker had prepared for him. "[That woman is a god among mortals]." He mumbled to himself, shutting the box.

The second was a much smaller box, the simple stone container holding a far greater and more complicated possession. "[A howl-puzzle]." Holding the mostly obsidian box in hand, Dust carved symbols delicately etched from one end of it to the other, of varying colors. These machines, while gaudy and overly complex, were indeed equally as powerful. They fashioned in a way, Anu hypothesized, as a Scroll, being used for long ranged communication, as well as focusing and meditating ones Ego. Funneling the Power into the machine, and searching the Ether for the one whom is desired, whispering to their own Ego, but not without first creating one of the [Prysm] patterns, maneuvering seven horizontal sigils and five vertical ones. When completed, the machine will relock its shape into a more pyramidal structure. A note lay, sprawled in neat Shira-Kai, 'Keep in touch, little brother'. He puffed his cheeks in annoyance at her nickname for him.

The next was a vine-fabric wrapped parcel, when he lifted it, had the strong impression it was clothing of some form and beamed with the idea of clothing of Shira-Kai making, something to replace his robe that was so crudely and shortly obliterated.

What was held within, stabbed his heart far deeper than any blade. On the attire-piece was another note, written in Remnatian, strangely enough. He thought he understood the writing, rough as it was, and quickly crunched it up and threw it aside. He laid the robe on his bed and stared and stared and stared, till someone came in.

"Hey man, we missed ya at dinner." Raf greeted him, holding be door open while Rhaine and Shora walked in.

"Apologies." '_Gods, I must've sat there for hours.'_ "I had studies." He managed to reply. "Keep the door open, I need a walk." Anu sighed, taking Shu in hand.

Raf held his hand on his shoulder, "You okay man?" He sounded honestly concerned, as far as one such as him could.

"I'm not sure." Anu managed to say threw his teeth, trying to nudge past Raf's hand, failing.

Raf pointed at Anu's 'gifts', "Are you upset over those? We can go outside and burn 'em if you want, have a tiny party for it." He smiled.

Anu shook his head, still disbelieving, "That... will not be necessary." Finally managing to move past his leader.

Rhaine instantly nosed into the new belongings, holding the robe up for all to see. It was stark white, save for the shoulders and cuffs, which seemed to have knit golden thread, of which were notably wider though shorter than Anu's original robe. Though far less elaborate then Anu's darker attire, it had a sense of beautiful simplicity. It also looked like it was quite old, maybe a decade or so.

Rhaine scoffed, throwing the clothing back onto the bed unceremoniously. "Bah, that guy actually needs to get some real clothes, none of that monk-crap."

Shora overserved and was close to commenting on her Faunus teammate riffling through another's personal belongings, but was honestly interested herself. She hopped off her bunk, going to throw away a crumbled piece of paper, noticing writing on the inside. She opened it, reading the text;

'There is no unforgivable sin'.

[][[[[

Speaker placed the cup down on the saucer, "He is the last of his clan." She explained to Ozpin, "My brother, while I know he loves me and my family with more passion and devotion then anything, he... he is different than other Faunus."

Ozpin was leaning on his conjoined hands, clasped together on his desk. "What do you mean?"

Speaker hummed lowly in thought, "Such... you know of the differences between human and Faunus, yes? Not just physically but mentally?" She gestured with her hand of the two 'levels' of difference. "My brother and what his clan was, was as different from other Faunus as Faunus were to humans on both levels." Lifting the hand higher. "His... actions could be him reacting to the trauma he experience from your ki-" She quickly corrected herself, "From Atlas. From the expeditionary force, in a way only he could understand."

"Impaling Hunters?" Ozpin questioned, while at first Speaker thought he had tried to make this subject personal, he continued on passively, "Killing Atlasian senators, their families? Decapitating dozens?"

Speaker opened her mouth before she quickly closed it.

Ozpin calculated his next words carefully, knowing that this inquiry may have been more of an inquisition to her, "Can you specify? How was your brother different than the others of the... Shira-Kai Domain?" He worded as carefully as possible.

While Speaker wouldn't have been offended by a mispronunciation, she was refreshed by the care this Professor took with talking to her. Smiling, "Well, it is quite complicated."

He looked over to the pot nearby, "Want any more coffee?"

She chuckled with a hand over her mouth, "If you would be so kind, my lord."

Ozpin rose an eyebrow at what she called him, "Please, that's really not necessary." Taking the kettle and refilling both of their cups.

She shrugged, "As you wish, just know you are regarded high status at the colony. They greatly appreciate your efforts to not only avoid the knowledge of some of our kind creating so much pain, yet, but of the possibility of allowing more of us into the outside world."

Professor Ozpin smirked, "Just doing my job." Several seconds after he regained comfort in his chair, "Now. Please, what can you tell me of Anu?"

The name started a slight fit of barely held giggles, "Apologies, apologies..." She mumbled, trying to settle down. "He is... well, our people have had an extremely long history, the most ancient of which isn't... exactly in good records." She rubbed her wrist, "Historians say that at one point, we indeed have had deities we worshipped. Terrible beings. They protected from the Grimm and guided us into civilization. These... gods were later overthrown and killed, after an incredibly destructive and horrible revolt." She took a sip of coffee, the liquid almost soothing her from the ideas of the dark gods. "These entities... mingled their essences with several of their slaves they believed worthy or exceptional, creating bloodlines and these groupings later founded a clan called the Lotus of Blood."

Ozpin nodded, listening attentively.

"This clan was killed in fairly recent history, however. Over three centuries ago, when they launched a crusade to overthrow the Domain." She closed her eyes, "Somehow, Anubis was discovered centuries after, barely a toddler in the ruins of his homeland to the west. My family took custody of him since my parents found him." She sighed, "He is the last son of Seth: the Pale Jackal, the Strongest, the Wielder of Kinslayer, and the Master of Red Thunder."

Ozpin turned his head, "He's a... demigod of some kind?"

She instantly shook her head, "No. Quite the opposite in fact."

"What do you mean?"

Speaker bit her lip, "You can hold words and secrets well?"

Ozpin shrugged, "I like to think so."

Speaker thought, "You know that Faunus and Humans are both made of Dust, yes? Well... we call the Grimm the Children of Blood." She paused, trying to piece words from legends, truths and revelations. "They... like blood. A great deal. Not meat, not bone. Anyways, I..." She sighed, annoyed about herself not being able to see the point she was going to make. "Are gods real, Ozpin?"

The professor was taken off guard by the question. "I... don't know."

Speaker was visibly agitated by the response. "Don't lie. It's one of my gifts. Honest answer."

Ozpin stared at her, "No." He sat back, coffee in hand. "They're not."

"The people that could imitate gods wouldn't be strong enough or long lived enough to do what the Seventeen-Pantheons did. No human, no Faunus. What does that leave us?"

Ozpin had to think for a minute, at first drawing a blank at the point until he almost crawled to the unseen, maybe insane possibility. "Wait..." He pointed at her, "Are you saying your gods were GRIMM?"

She slowly nodded, "What does that make the Clan of the Blood Lotus? What does that make my caring, regretful, older brother?"

Ozpin sighed, realizing what she was implying, placing the cup on his desk. '_I'm getting to old for this…_'

[][[[[[

Anu munched eagerly into the brown, square confections, almost feinting from the sheer sweet and savory.

It was the only thing that he brought to lunch, a rough wooden container with two stacks worth of what looked like brownies.

Ruby was sitting next to him, giving him the 'puppy eye' treatment. "Pwwweeaaasee..."

Anu glanced over, "I said you wouldn't like these." Sighing, he presented the box.

She 'yayed!' taking a square from the box and biting off a hefty portion of it. At first there was the taste of chocolate but then... Ruby coughed, taking her napkin and disposing of the desert. She covered her mouth, looking at the almost laughing Anu. "What was that?!"

Anu gave her a sideways look, smiling, "Are you certain you want to know?"

Ruby slowly nodded.

[][[[[

Yang hummed a tune as she was walking down her table to her seat. She noticed Anu holding a tray of brownies, quickly snatching the box from his grasp and consuming a bar.

"Oh my god..." Yang said out loud, mouth full of food.

Ruby stared, "Uh Yang, let me get you a buck-"

"These are amazing!" She blinked, before messily digging in. The ensemble stared in terror at her sheer gluttonous devouring of the confections.

When the box was torn, with nothing of the desert remaining, Yang smiled broadly, licking her fingers. "What was in those?"

Ruby looked mortified, hesitant to tell her.

Anu coughed into a fist, "Chocolate. With... pork blood."

Yang dropped the box, tongue rolling out of mouth in disgust.

[][][[[[

Blake walked into the cafeteria at maybe the most awkward moment possible. She wasn't quite sure what the reason was from Yang wiping her tongue with her hand, hopping up and down and looking green doing it; but she awkwardly danced around her and sat at her usual spot at the table.

"Hey Blake! How are you today?" Ruby smiled.

"Fine." She nodded, "What's up with your sister?"

Yang stood still, "Nothing! Nothing happened! This DID NOT happen!" She huffed, sitting at the table herself.

"Uh huh..." Blake stared, before pulling her book out.

"I'll be ehm, throwing those away..." Anu uncomfortably picked up the boxes Yang crudely dropped.

As quickly as Blake's attention was given to Anu, was it as quickly forced away.

Weiss rolled her eyes, muttering something that had to do with 'Irony', 'Faunus', and 'Trash'. Blake had to bite her tongue on the statement. Or at least her presumptions of it.

"Why doesn't Raf or Rhaine ever eat here?" Blake managed to ask Shora.

Shora looked up at her from her own book. "They do occasionally, but they mentioned they both hated 'Cafeteria food'. They prefer making their own meals or going to restaurants."

[][[

"No!" Raf pointed, "No! No! No!" He lifted the cookbook, "Three TEASPOONS of salt!" He lifted a regular spoon, "Does this look like a teaspoon?!"

"Fuck you, Bastard-Barian! You didn't say the TEA part! Now look at it!"

The roast in question gurgled in its stew, as grey as flesh from a mortuary.

[][[[

Ruby spun Crescent Rolls before resting it on her shoulder. She stood in the midst of the training ground. "Hmmmm..." She thought as she scanned the audience, "I'd... like to pick..." She finally set her eyes on one, "Anu!" She pointed.

Anu blinked, "Ihtah?" 'That's a very big blade I tried to stay on the right side of.'

[][[[[

Anu chuckled nervously, waving his hands, "Hehe, you don't really wish to fight me do you?"

"Yup!" She smiled, spinning her weapon, readying a battle position.

"I uhhh don't have an Aura... cutting me in half is so much more difficult than not cutting me in half." He waved his hands even more vigorously, sweating as vigilantly.

"I'll be careful, I'll be careful." She drawled monotonously.

"W-wait! That's not what I-"

"Begin!" Goodwitch declared.

Ruby charged at Anu with her ungodly speed, swinging Crescent Rose horizontally.

Anu's face contorted stressfully, 'She's faster than I remember.'

He leapt above the massive scythes path, pulling out Thoth as he descended over Ruby.

Ruby swung the weapon around, planting the blade into the ground as she fired several rounds.

The Scholar's Spear spun rapidly as it deflected most of the shots, the metal weapon reverberated, shaking from the impact and almost being lost even in Anu's grip. Before he could even repose, Ruby again charged with that profane momentum, slicing vertically threw the air, landing at a near vacant spot where Anu managed to side step, unprepared when the crimson maid flipped her body around on the planted weapon, and kicked him with both legs, pushing him even more off balance.

'Gods, she's pretty good.' He smiled internally.

Despite his imbalance, he grasped one of her ankles, screaming lightly in shock before he chucked her across the arena. Crescent Rose out of her reach.

She managed to land on her feet, but cursed under her breath given her predicament.

Anu on the other hand, was patting himself down of dust. He eyed the battle-scythe with curiosity, stabbing Thoth into the stone floor and picking up Crescent in its stead.

Ruby's face was crossed with outrage and insult, 'That's MY baby!' But was quickly doused with confusion when Anu tossed it at her, the later catching it by reflex.

Amu smiled, "Sorry." Rubbing the back of his head, "I showed you mine but you didn't show me yours."

Ruby blushed, staring wide eyed, 'W-what the-? What does that mean?' She then recalled that time where she took his spear for a look see. The blush quieted down, feeling slightly relieved from the revelation of his... inappropriate metaphor.

"Now, shall we continue?" Retaking his spear, brandishing it and dragging the tip across the floor, like making an invisible line in nonexistent sand.

Ruby smiled eagerly, filled with excitement at the prospects of this fight. "Yep!"

Anu charged, readying up with one hand.

Ruby followed suite, giving a humorous battle cry.

Anu threw the spear, Ruby dancing around the lightning fast projectile, speeding past her and coming into contact with the security field at the edge of the arena. Sparks flew and the field powered the weapon back.

'She's fast but isn't that well in close quarters.' Ruby's dodge of Thoth opened a window in her long reach, and sped towards it with abandon.

As soon as he became within arms distance, Ruby's body contorted and turned with more speed than he's witnessed any wielding, spinning Crescent with her. Her expression was smug and spelt two words to Anu, 'Got ya'.

Anu's face deformed in panic, staving off his approach by skidding heels in the floor. Ruby gave another, shorter cry as she brought her scythe down in a perfectly vertical, guillotine like fashion.

Anu's palms launched towards each other in horrific frenzy, as they touched the cool metal of the weapon and held it locked with all of his strength, a small plume of gathered, stone dust was blown back from Crescent Rose's strike.

Anu almost passed out from fright as he looked down the pole of Crescent, its wielder still smirking in apparent victory. The blade was level with his chest and if he hadn't stopped the blade, it may have taken a leg... or worse.

Anu's face was covered in sweat, "Shoo! That was quite close to the chest."

Ruby's smirk only grew as she simply replied, "Mhm!" Before loading another round into the sniper weapon.

Anu's mind with blank with the fact; he was staring down the barrel of a powerful cannon. "Oh."

Ruby smiled from ear to ear as she pulled the trigger.

[][[[[

"Oh! That's gotta hurt!" Rhaine laughed sadistically as Anu limply sped across the sparring ground, timbling head over feet until he contacted the security field.

"Ehhhhh..." Anu could be heard moaning weakly, a massive red oval on his forehead.

"Ruby Rose is the victor!" Goodwitch declared.

Ruby jumped up once, "Oh yeah!" Before running over to Anu a picking him up by the shoulder. He groaned pitifully as he leant his head on her tiny shoulder.

"Woohoo! That's my Ruby!" Yang yelled out, arms in the air.

[][[[

Ruby set the borderline knocked out Anu up in the seat next to her. "I don't know about you, but I'm glad I remembered I traded out my real rounds for the training ones." She giggled, "Instead of getting hit with a bean bag, you could have lost your head."

Anu's head circled once more in utter frailty, 'My body can't take the crazy women here anymore...' Before succumbing to his hopeful death and his head fell into her lap in a heap of barely conscious moaning.

"Eep!" Ruby squealed, quickly pushing him up out of her legs. "Anu! Wake up!"

Their neighbors could only watch in amusement as his head waddled again before falling back into her lap with another squeak. Even Weiss happened to give a small smile at the ridiculous spectacle.

"Anu!" Ruby declared, face completely red.

'Ahhhhh warm...' Anu dully dreamt.

[][[[[[

Blake helped Ruby carry the fully sleeping Anu back to his dorm, having been excused from other classes due to his 'injury'. While his other team members were readily available, the two volunteered in their stead.

The Faunus in disguises partner was still beat red, despite the time in between the arena and the infirmry. He did mumble every once in a while, but was in his foreign language. They swiped his Scroll over the door lock, carrying him to the room. "Which bunk is his?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded towards a pair of bunk beds, "The lower one on the left."

Blake smirked, "Surprised you know which one he sleeps in. How many times you've been in here?"

"A few times, but I catch him a bit late at night sooo… yeah." She smiled as they slid the man into bed.

"Why?" Blake eyed her, teasing her rather than being curious.

"Oh… uh… he helps me sleep." Ruby rubbed her head, "He has this weird hypnosis-thing that helps my insomnia out a lot."

'_Great. Another thing Anu didn't tell us._' Blake thought bitterly, "Say, did he tell you his real name by the way?"

"What?" Ruby asked, intensely intrigued.

Blake nodded, "Yep. His real name is Anubis."

Anu sat up from his bed like the undead and dully asked, "Who say my name?"

Both the girls jumped from the spot, arms up defensively.

'Wow, Blake wasn't kidding…' Ruby chuckled internally.

"Mahhhh… my head…" Anu rubbed his scalp, pulling out the tie that held his hair up, falling over his head like a current of liquid.

'Wow… nice hair…' They both thought, slightly mesmerized.

"S-sorry, did a bit of overkill in our match." Ruby chuckled awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it…" Anu smiled, the red mark on his forehead as prominent as ever, giving Ruby a spike of guilt.

"So? Guess you didn't tell her your real name?" Blake crossed her arms.

Anu frauned, "Ruby? Can you please leave? I need to talk to your partner about something."

Ruby was irked from the request, "What about? This co-"

"Ruby, _please._" Anu pleaded, standing up from his bed. "I will inform you of everything later, I promise."

[][]

Blake had a tinge of nervousness as Ruby finally left alone with Anubis. He seemed more sad then angry or annoyed with her attitude with him recently.

He finally sighed, after half a minute of silence, "What do you think of me, Blake? Before you thought I lied with every other word?"

Blake closed your eyes a moment, recalling him threw their few language sessions, "Weird, but… nice. Brave. A bit dull sometimes but it wasn't the bad kind of dull."

'Eesh, maybe Rhaine isn't as biased as I thought.' Anu couldn't help but think. "I will tell you everything, absolutely everything, right now, no half-truths, on one condition;…" he held up his finger, "You will do everything in your power to see me as that dull man you helped."

Blake narrowed her eyes, "How do I know this entire thing is going to be truthful?"

Anu looked momentarily distracted, looked passed her, threw her, before his eyes quickly refocused. "You'll know what I say is the truth. Believe me on that."

Blake scoffed, "Sure, go right ahead, _Anubis._"

Ignoring the disdain she had as she said his name, he clenched his hands into fists, as if the memories he was recalling were physically painful.

[][[[

_Four years ago, Military-Colony Virmaeda, 0300 hours_

"Breach in three…two…one…" A Dust bomb obliterated the lock to the airship dry docks near the main colony.

The expected sights and smells of heavy construction and transport vehicles was replaced by a sight, worse than any hell any of the men currently assembled to investigate the colony's sudden blackout could imagine.

Fellow men in arms, local construction workers, administrators… all of them dead where they were cut down. What's worse, the various beams and poles were crudely erected from nearby material… held the skewered corpses of their kinsmen aloft.

At the center of this macabre display of death and mutilation, near the edge of one of the small canyons carved to house the monstrous airships; a single man, covered in black and red robes. A silver, Jackal mask covered his face as he turned to his audience, "Welcome, Atlas. Welcome to one of your homes."

The spec ops teams kept their weapons trained as he approached, the captain ordering, "Drop your weapons and place your hands behind your head!"

The man chuckled lowly, revealing a diatchi he held, hidden by his elaborate clothing. Planting the sword in the ground, he approached, folding his arms behind his head. "I must say, I am disappointed. I expected you to be here sooner." Looking back at the cadavers, "Not as disappointed as them, mind you."

"Stay where you are!" The captain was audibly shaken.

"Don't worry. I won't harm you." He slowly moved his hands from behind his head, presenting his wrists, "I am your prisoner, after all." He laughed about as the Atlas soldiers moved closer, one of the men quickly paced forward, zip tying the man hands together, gripping his clothing and throwing him forward.

The leader of this group, kept his gun trained on him, "What kind of… sick freak are you?"

He smiled underneath his mask, "You can call me Demon."

[][][]

**Soooooo, someone else finally knows about Anu's work history!** **Wonder how she'll react? This guy was practically Khan for RWBY. Without the raping, of course.**

**Well, if you have any ideas, please share them, I have an idea of how she'll react, but would greatly enjoy the opinions of others.**

**See ya!**


	22. Phalanx and Legionnaire

*_Three man chorus_* **Hello! Hello! Hello!**

**Been real busy lately, sorry about the wait. Hope itll be worth it!**

**Anyways, in a little change, I can see how the kingdoms can have rivalries that are analogical to real world ones. I get the sense that Atlas and Mistral would have a big one due to differing cultural views but at the same time being fairly similar to one another. Think the difference between ancient Greeks and romans, being replaced by Mistral and Atlas respectively. Vale and Vacuo would be closer to enlightenment-colonial Europe to oppressed-colonized Central/North America. Vale's gunna be more Germanic then anything but Vacuo will have influences of Vale culture along lines of their own native kind, which will have elements of Mayan and Native American.**

**Also, while Anu 'knows' Remnatian, he doesn't necessarily understand it. The difference being that he has a familiarity with a majority of what was exceedingly important to know to him when he learned it. Things like 'location', 'time', 'numbers' things of that nature. Things like metaphors and sayings have a big chance of going right over his head (unless he catches them).**

**As a final note: my explanation of the Grimm was that they are all a sort of evolving/shapeshifter, whom can change its form given stimuli and motive. How rapid this can take place is fairly requiring on the individual rather than all universal. They are all born with an initial form that would mimic the parent, and would stay in a similar shape for years.**

**But enough about that, let's get-**

Suddenly, Rhaine reaches a digital hand out of the computer screen shaking her creator and yelling, "Shut the fuck up and get started already!"

[][[[[

"You? A part of the Desert Dust Uprising?" Blake's question wasn't much of an inquiry, where one would hear disbelief at the statement, the voice held a tone of contempt, seemingly offended by the idea.

"Indeed." Anu's entire body seemed to droop, as if exhausted from the confession.

Blake shook her head, "You joined the Vacuo Resistance cell when you were fourteen, fifteen? That ended four years ago."

"Three years, two-hundred-thirty-seven days, if one is keeping track." Anu sat back onto his bunk.

Blake scoffed, "Still, you joined the war when you were only in high school?"

"Blake, I was fifty-two." Anu corrected stiffly, embarrassed from revealing how old he was to everyone else.

The faunus blinked, a look of shock and confusion, "What?"

"I turned fifty-six last harvest." Anu looked to the side, fidgeting with a lock of hair.

Blake laughed, but didn't find it funny. "Really?" She started sarcastically, "Why the hell do you look like a guy that's entering his twenties?"

Anu shrugged, "All of my kinsmen have similar life lengths. We age much slower then outsiders, entering adolescence at around twenty or so, leaving it around forty-fifty more or less an adult."

Blake just stared, the inhumerous smile she had quickly dropping. "That's impossible! You're not fifty-six! And you weren't a part of the Uprising!" She pointed an accusing finger.

Anu's fatigue plummeted even further, looking physically exhausted. "I am what I am." He shook his head, "I have no reason to have you believe me, Blake, other than for you to trust me once more. There is no other motive or need to offer a fabrication."

Blake growled, "Some people don't need a reason to lie!"

Anu looked up at her, eyes piercing her own. There was a moment of an undeniable connection between the two, despite Blakes animosity currently. "Not us, though." He said, a mix of shame but yet reassurance to the woman.

Blake bit her tongue, feeling a sense of dread from his statement.

"I know full well who and what you are." Anu stood, aggravation giving him energy where patience could not, "It is not just in the eyes, but in the way you move, speak, fight, you've taken lives that did not deserve their fate at your hand." Anu had to pace his own rage, not directed at her but himself. "I trust you more than any other because we walk the same path, we are both stained with sins that will never be removed and must be taken with us, even into death."

Blake took a step back, unable to formulate thoughts or words from the onslaught Anu said.

"What I have done cannot have been for nothing. It WILL NOT be for nothing. I will not have the acts, the horror, the guilt I have wrought be the reason I cannot be better then what I once was."

Blake took another step back as he approached further. "What... "

"There was once a man named Anubis, a man who was forced with pain and suffering and gave pain and suffering in turn. But he is not who I am, and his lessons are not forgotten." He smiled sadly at her, "Sometimes we have to be more then what others would likely see us as, if we offered others what we truly are."

Blake felt her breath hitch in her throat. She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. "I..." Blake managed to eek out. She then realized that the two of them were extremely close and she was almost backed up to the wall. "Um..." Blake looked away, blushing, "Can you back up a bit?"

Anu turned his head, "Ihtah?" before noticing their proximity himself. He seemed back to normal as he sputtered a quick apology and darted across the room, twittiling his thumbs nervously. "I apologize for my closeness. I did so without full knowing."

Blake shrugged, "Uh it's alright. Didn't know until too late anyways." She awkwardly chuckled.

Excusing the forceful nature of the small laughter, Anu's heart was gently relieved from it, to him it meant she was trying to go out of her way to alleviate the uncomfortable situation. "Thank you." Bowing his head.

Blake looked upon Anu for a period of time, before saying, "What about your family? How did they react to your joining the Uprising?"

Anu smiled, "So you believe me?"

"I never said that." Crossing both arms, while the statement held a great deal of indignation, her face was refreshingly passive, receptive and considerate of the story she's heard so far and isn't jumping any which way.

Anu's smile faded, "They... my family were devout pacifists. Almost everyone was." He rubbed the back of his head, "Except my auntie..." He mumbled. He tried to get on the path of thought, "What I did..." He shook his head, trying to shake loose the claw of the memory. "My father..." He rubbed his brow, "My..." He felt the air sucked out of his chest, fighting to suppress the shutter. "I couldn't feel anything but hate. I didn't care what my family thought me, what they would do to me when I returned, all I desired, all that I needed was to make those responsible for so much death payed in full measure." Anu felt the barest fragment of that hatred as he recalled his motives for committing such deeds, and to him it was... intoxicating. It tempted him to give into his emotional Excess, the thing that fueled his Ego abilities.

"Anu?" Blake asked with a tone of concern.

Anu blinked, realizing his Akuma had manifested without his knowing. He gave an expression of shame, "Excuse me." The Akuma being repressed once more and he smiled, feeling his emotions no longer strangled or funneled. "You called me Anu!" He smiled broadly.

Blake blinked, "Uh, I-I only called you it from habit. Don't read that as anything."

Anu's smile didn't diminish, "Wouldn't imagine doing so." He teased.

Blake huffed, "You're damn cheeky for an old man."

Anu pouted, "Mahhh, I'm not old..." Waving his hand at her meekly, he coughed lightly, "So... that's all I wanted to say. You can ask me any questions you wish as long as we're in private."

Blake blinked, "How many people know about you?"

"Oh, Professor Ozpin knows, Rhaine, a couple of administrators from Atlas..." Thinking, placing a finger on his chin, "Fairly certain Goodwitch knows. I can't walk into the same space with her without her staring like she's going to brutally murder me with those heel-shoes."

Blake breathed steadily, organizing her thoughts. "Why don't you tell your team?"

"Rhaine knows but is sworn to secrecy, as I've said." He rubbed his neck, "I was declared dead, Blake, by the foremost military in this world. My being alive wouldn't help with stability. More knowing the contradiction isn't exactly wise."

"Why DID they let you live?" Blake managed to ask.

Anu's gaze grew distant, "They didn't." He refocused on Blake's confused expression, "I don't understand it either. I was helpless, accepting of my death at Legate Lancer's hand, he fired his weapon then..." He threw up his hands, "I wake near a village in Vacuo territory some weeks later." He shrugged, "I managed to assist against a Grimm issue, and it gained the attention of some nearby hunters. I turned myself in, spent more time then I care to mention in an isolation cell, Professor Ozpin and imperator-general Ironwood came to me with an opportunity, and..." Anu waved his hands to the room, "-here we are."

Blake was still barely wrapping her head around this. "Wow."

"Life's an insane and whimsical journey." Anu smiled. "Not all of it is good music, wine and honey bread."

Blake nodded lightly, "You can say that again."

Anu rose and eyebrow, "Ehm... life's an insane and whimsi-"

Blake laughed, putting up her hands, "It's a figure of speech."

Anu rubbed the back of his hand, feeling very nervous and apprehensive for what she may say next. "So? May we return to the way we once were?"

Blake sighed, noticing his unease, "I can't see you as man I knew before." Shrugging in defeat.

Anu quickly seemed distraught, "I see."

Blake stepped toward him, offering her hand. "How about this? Hello." She smiled, "My name's Blake Belladana."

Anu smiled back, registering the redeeming irony of the act. Apposed to when they first met, Blake didn't take his hand in their initial greeting. He firmly grasped her hand, "Hello, my name is Anubis, but please call me Anu."

Blake felt a bit embarrassed saying the next part, feeling it oddly childish. "Nice to meet you. Want to be friends?" 'Maybe I've been spending too much time with Ruby...'

"It'd be a privilege, Blake." Anu bowed slightly to her.

The two shared a pregnant silence for several seconds before Anu suggested, "I still have to find some combat clothes. Going to use this rest time efficiently. Want to accompany me?"

Blake bit the inside of her cheek, "Um, actually I think it'd be best if I head back to class, I'll be late as it is."

Anu laughed, "Oh dear. I shan't keep you then." He retrieved Shu, leaning against his bed. "Oda... actually can I ask a favor of yours before we depart?"

Blake turned her head, "Uh, what would that be?"

Anu held Shu by the tip of its circular sheath, pointing the hilt towards the Belladona. "Try to remove the blade from its cradle."

Blake was surprised, enough by the presented weapon, more so from the request.

Anu smiled, "I am seeking this blades true wielder. I believe Ruby would call this a 'Sword in the Stone'. It will assist me, but i am not its master and thus cannot unlock its full potential."

Blake looked skeptically at him, 'I'll humor him just one more time.' She thought, placing a hand in the pummel and yanking, meeting adamant resistance. She tugged once more, before using both hands and pulling with all her might, audibly straining.

Anu looked disappointed as Blake gave the recent attempt up. "I... apologize. Thank you for the attempt however."

Blake rose an eyebrow, "Didn't you pull out a knife out of that or something?"

Anu chuckled, "It's more along the lines of the base that supports the rest of the pillar. A key or the spine, one can say."

"Uh-huh... so why aren't you its 'true owner'?"

"A tale for another time, Miss Beledonna." Anu smiled.

[][[[

"Asshole! Prick! Motherfu-!" Rhaine cursed as she fired her rifle at Pyrrha. Mimicking the other three volleys where her bullet should have made its mark, the shell impacted against the shield. 'Should have been between her eyes... again!'

Pyrrha would usually have a satisfying sense of superiority when fighting a hard headed opponent such as Rhaine, but her recent... difficulty with her 'dignified' leader put her in a foul, impatient mood. When the last sniper shot impacted her shield, she quickly threw it at Rhaine.

The faunus 'hopped' back, disappearing into the stone floor, reappearing by jumping 'up' from a small dash of blood. Rhaine teleportation was limited to her actual matter. She literally had to have a piece of herself somewhere in order to use her Semblance to get there. Thus she carried a small chain of breach-glass orbs, canistering her blood. When she needed a quick way out within throwing distance, she pressed down a titanium needle inside the orb, making it as fragile as any pedestrian glass and throwing it.

Despite the rapid transportation, intense training and a shitty mood managed put Pyrrha in striking range of Rhaine. Pyrrha threw her fist forward, the momentum from her charge carrying forth as her punch came across Rhaine's face.

Rhaine's Aura was lacking, for a better word, and the punch had enough force that it put her on the floor.

Pyrrha pointed her spear at the downed Rhaine, "Yield."

The Atlasian Guard couldn't help but scoff, 'Damn Mistralum...' Rhaine stood from her downed position, rubbing her jaw, "Sure, sure. Whatever."

"Pyrrha Nikos is the victor." Professor Port announced.

Blake managed to sit next to her partner. "What'd I miss?"

Ruby smiled apologetically, "Pretty much everything." She shrugged, "Ya missed a match between Yang and Nora."

Blake looked on, "Oh wow, who won?"

Yang leaned in her seat, her arm and head wrapped in bandages and a cast. "Nobody." She laughed before having a shiv of pain shot up her sore back, forcing her to stop doing so.

Nora could be spotted being fanned by Ren and Jaune, her clothes were scorched and Blake could detect the chemical stench of ointment.

Weiss hummed her agreement, "The arena needed major restructuring and it really tired Goodwitch out."

Blake cursed mentally. 'Missed out on a really good fight.'

"Sooo what'd Anu want?"

"Oh..." 'Turns out he was in a rebellion that killed a lot of people and is really sorry about it.' Blake was disturbingly close to saying. "... he just... uh we talked about something that's been bugging me for a while."

Ruby looked interested, "Hm, what was it?"

"He um... it's personal." Blake tried to shake the subject off, as bogus as the means was.

Ruby seemed annoyed, almost offended, "Didn't think you liked Anu recently, why talk about something you couldn't ask help from your team?"

Blake scoffed, "We got over it."

Ruby puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes.

"By the way ol' blackey;..." Raf yelled, "How's the dumbass?"

"Good. Resting." Blake felt irritated by the leader of ARES nickname for her.

"Please tell me he's still suffering!" Rhaine demanded, eerily cheerful as she ran up from the match's door.

"Yup. Horribly, being tortured by just being alive."

[][[[

Anu whistled a tune he heard on the bus's song-box. He didn't understand a majority of the song, but the beat and musical instruments sounded very nice.

The monolithic store loomed over head, strangely intimidating and foreboding in its undoubted massive selection and thus greater difficulty of choosing an attire before the trip to the woods by the end of the week.

Anu gathered a tiny bit f courage before he spotted, at the corner of his eye, far down the road of this commerce area of the city; were circling, glowing lights of red and blue atop vehicles. The constructs had lain in front of a building, the front was obliterated from wall to wall, leaving the inside of the building exposed to the world like a bizarre, gutted carcass. He spotted the movement of several individuals going in and out of the debacle.

Anu looked once more to the 'shopping-mall' before sighing and beginning his walk to the discovered debacle.

[][[[

"Looks like another one." Lizbeth breathed out, agitatedly finishing the report and slipping it into a bage folder, throwing it into her patroller's open side window.

"Yup. Just not the White Fang for once." One of her coworkers, Hadria, corrected. "Think it was something local. Maybe a gang of faunus or something?"

Lizbeth shook her head, "They wouldn't do that. Being this overt isn't their style and they will lose respect with the people if they do something this crazy." She fidgeted with her massive glasses. Due to her 'gift' she heard one or two of her brothers of the service mumble about 'knowing too well with Faunus gangs'. She easily ignored it. It was almost as easy as breathing to her. "But we can't rule out that this could be a response from the recent robberies with the White Fang and those idiots from Juniors crew."

[][[[

Anu stared at the yellow-ribbon that was wrapped around poles, forming a thin perimeter over the front of the assaulted store. "Pol..." He sounded out, reading the tape. "Polic... policey? Policy?" He grimaced, 'What does Policy mean for a crime?' He pondered this for mere a minute before he smiled, 'It must mean that when I cross this mark it is my _policy _to assist? That makes sense.' He then pulled up the barrier and proceeded into the store.

The entire place reeked of naked-Dust, mixes of a kind of mineral, grimy texture with the exotic and energetic hints of burning wood, wind threw trees or static built up.

He noticed the clerk, a woman of middle age and twice as weary in appearance sitting beside her desk, a patrolman had recently departed from her presence, walking to the front to regroup with his fellows.

Anu was hesitant to question the human, considering her interrogation ended just recently, but he needed to hear her plights before he heard the opinions of the patrollers.

"I beg your pardon miss." Anu held up a hand as he approached.

The woman was shocked, her eyes darted between the patrollers, to him and hen to Shu in his grasp.

Anu quickly leant Shu against a nearby counter, holding up both hands. "I am not here to hurt anything. I am here to offer my assistance, if you will have it."

[]][[

"Well, we need to gather samples of-" An investigator wrote before he looked up from his pad, "Who the hell is he?" Pointing his pen.

Lizbeth eyed curiously back into the store. "Um..." She cleaned her glasses and put them back on, seeing a certain man he shot previously, in a white button shirt and tan slacks, holding a long sheathed sword, speaking to the victim, "Ah shit."

[][[

"I see..." Anu rubbed his chin, "Well, do you know if these men had left anything? Clothing? Blood? Anything at all?"

The woman meekly voiced, "Well, i heard a lot of commotion near the Wind-Dispenser, sounded like one got hurt on something."

Anu nodded, smiling broadly, "Thank you miss, I will have those who've committed this act of hostility brought to justice."

The reassurance put a smile on the woman's face, "Thank you, young man."

As Anu turned he was quickly dragged to the side by a pair of small hands on his pony tail. "Ihtah?" He stated passively as the deceptively strong, dainty digits pulled him to the opposite side of the store. "Hey!" Anu instantly recognized Lizbeth.

"Shut up!" She ordered, pointing at him, "What the hell are you doing here?! This is a crime scene!" She explained lividly. "I have half a mind to arrest you right here!"

Anu was at first very confused but he smiled smugly, "But you're disinclining from doing so, yes?"

A vein popped on her head, "I think you're jinxing it."

Anu looked around, "I can help. Berate me later, but if I can find a scent and the path is still fresh, we may have these thugs located soon."

"What are you-"

Anu dashed from where he stood, holding up a tattered, grey piece of fabric, the ends stoked with blood.

Anu sniffed the matter heartily.

"What in the-?!"

Anu dropped it, grabbing Lizbeth by the wrist. "Follow me!" Before dragging her out of the store and down a series of streets in a path of smoke and a screaming Faunus.

[][[[

"It's around here somewhere..." Anu stated as he released the woman, who collapsed against the nearby wall of the alley.

Lizbeth needed a moment to regroup her bearings. "Where are-" she quickly grabbed him by the shoulders, "We're in Burker's Block?!"

Anu blinked, "This... is a bad place then?"

"It's a bad day away from cop Hell!" Lizbeth declared, yanking at her uniform.

Anu thought a moment, "Take off your uniform."

Lizbeth stared, "No! I'm not-" Anu unbuttoned and took off his own shirt, "Why are you stripping?!"

Anu turned his head, "You're safety is my current priority." Handing the shirt over to her, "Wear this, and drop the uniform here." Turning his back to her. While he didn't much care for nudity of either gender, he knew she more than likely did.

Lizbeth sighed, "Fine..."

As soon as she was prepared, Anu gestured for her to follow. They shadowed out of the alley and followed the side of the building.

To Anu the scent was becoming satisfyingly stronger. It wasn't long as they crept along that they began to hear a group approaching.

Anu spied around the corner and was thoroughly shocked to see two of the group of eight or so carrying firearms. He whispered, "How can civilians get such weapons?!"

While he knew she knew the answer, the women was extremely all over the place and manically shrugged her shoulders. "We have to get out of here before they see us! They'll get suspicious if they see me and a human around here."

Anu was close to correcting her before he self-corrected himself on the use of timing. This was not one of them. He did look more human due to his lackong ears. "We can't go back. I will lose this trail."

Lizbeth appeared close to a panic attack as her sight darted from one street to another, the crude militia coming dangerously close. "W-we have-"

Anu quickly pressed his lips against her open mouth. The action forced her eyes to widen.

With Lizbeth's own massive emotional instability due to stress and his current action, Anu used his current form of Akuma, the imbalance making it far easier to perform.

[][[

Lizbeth breathed desperately, almost like all of the oxygen had magically disappeared from her lungs.

When she regained her breathing she noticed she was under a scorching sun and almost wrist deep in orange-red sand.

"**It's alright, Lizbeth. I have you under a calming illusion, I am waiting for the group to pass.**"

[][[[

Anu broke the eye connection when he sensed the locals had departed, sputtering various profanities at their public display of apparent inter-racial affection.

Anu eyed them, before he released his breath. "Looks like they're-"

Lizbeth looked even more dazed, but of a far calmer disposition, her glasses fogged.

"Lizbeth Cane?" Anu asked concernedly.

She quickly recovered from the stupor, shaking her head, the fog fading from her vision. "Wh-what the hell did you do to me?"

"I'll explain soon, but our quarry is nearby."

Lizbeth blinked, "Okay, okay, I'll call it in. We will just hang back and wait for..." She pulled out her Scroll only to see Anu sprinting around the corner. "...god damn him..." She face palmed.

[][[[[

Anu stalked several paces into the building, worn and desiccated, rotting from age and neglect. If not for the hassle and bustle of its current inhabitants, the presence of the building may have been more malevolent.

The group was purely Faunus, he wasn't able to smell a sliver of human blood among the dozen or so cruelly clothed and poorly washed individuals. Many had the stink of gun-stone. Atop that, fewer still had a tinge of blood that did not belong to them. They were gathering what loot they so crudely retrieved from the store in metal boxes, planning on moving it by hand or by a vehicle that had yet to arrive. The lead among them was a large man, guessing at a meter and a half tall, or near seven feet. He held onto his shoulder what could be seen as a rifle, created threw his or another's crude means, whether it was a rapid fire or a constrained shooter was a mystery. The others carried hand held weapons, only a few were firearms.

From Anu's recent hypnosis and leaving of a sliver of his Ego from the ability, he could sense Lizbeth's presence mimicked the path he took, though was slower and far more cautious. He smiled, 'Id doubt shed proceed in without calling for assistance.' He silently agreed that now was the time for a dialog before the law enforcers arrived and death could be a real possibility.

Anu stepped forth from the shadows, quickly gaining the shocked-slow attention of several from the act. He was more certain it was due to his lacking a shirt however, 'Gods, these people need to forgo such an idiotic shame.' "Excuse me!" He declared gaining all of the group's attention.

[][[[

Lizbeth quickly darted back into cover when she heard someone yell, "You gotta be kiddin' me!" In a massive belly laugh.

She then heard Anu's accented voice reply, "No. If you do not surrender, I will have no choice but to subdue you." He looked around, "All of you."

Some weren't moved the least, others were uncertain whether or not they should drop the merchandise and flee now.

Lizbeth cursed silently. 'He's gunna get himself killed!'

"Out of all the insane bullshit I've heard rece-" the leader choked off the last syllable. He felt every muscle, bone and fiber in his body halt in sheer fear.

[][[[

The boss stared at the ceiling as massive claws wrenched the cover apart, the sky was afire and blood red, countering the bone white, massive monster that had torn the building asunder. It pushed its massive maw into the building's wound, nose mere centimeters from his face, sniffing the meal to come, the breath wet and sticky as it breathed out, satisfied with the fear struck morsel before it.

[][[[

"Hey! Cmon man! What do we do?" Another one of the robbers demanded, his boss staring off into space, sweating bullets. They couldn't see due to the more dim lighting, but his drawers were slowly turning darker around his crotch.

"Fuck this! Gank this-" one man was close to shooting the faint outline of where the man stood. "The hell'd he go?"

"Screw this! I'm getting outta here!" A man yelled, before he and a number others routed.

Lizbeth stopped breathing as they ran past her hiding spot for the exit. Sighing softly, refocused on the spectacle at hand.

[[[[

The few men who were left fully abandoned moving cargo, as their eyes darted from every corner and shadow they glimpsed, baring weapons that were at their disposal.

As quickly, Anu launched out from the ether, claiming an enemy with a bone breaking palm to his nose. Before the man fell, he dashed from him to the nearest adversary, whom wielded a knife. He broke the mans used of the tool with a well-placed twist of his arm, as the man yelled out, grabbed the knife from his weak grasp and threw it like a powerful dart at one who had a firearm across the room.

With a sickening *THUNK!* the man keeled over, dropping the gun as the knife stabbed into his shoulder joint, simultaneously kicking the debilitated knife wielder with a foot to his temple.

As the last able bodied gun-wielder managed to fire off some of his ammunition, Anu pulled Shu from her bandolier and quickly dashed out of the man's sights, forcing the aim to fire far wider, making Lizbeth cover her head from the bullets.

As he let out of last of his magazine, Anu came from above, carving Shu threw the air down towards the fear struck adversary. The sheathed-blade dragged the man's face firmly into the ground, making a small crater from the impact and the gun shattered to pieces as he attempted to crudely block the attack.

Anu studied the man, satisfied he was both incapacitated and alive. He turned his faintly glowing eyes to the trio of meagerly armed thugs that remained. They quickly threw their weapons to the ground and fled.

"[Well. I think that's enough loud noises for a day]." Rubbing the inside of his aching ears, extremely raw and silently screeching from the gunfire of the recent twenty-four hours.

He placed Shu on his shoulder and peeked over to where Lizbeth huddled still. "Ihtah? You can come out. It's quite safe."

Lizbeth quickly regathered what dignity she had left and stood, rubbing a hand against her holstered pistol. 'God dammit...' She thought, cursing herself, 'Still afraid of fighting other Faunus.' Saying nothing to Anu.

"Are you alright?" Anu smiled, "I mean compared to those people, I'm sure you-"

Anu's face contorted to panic for a moment before he quickly scooped Lizbeth up in an all coning embrace. He tried to dart forward but was quickly shot with several rattling bullets, hitting all along his right side. The mix of his near break neck momentum and the bullet forced the two to skid several feet till Lizbeth's back hit a wall, the opposite side of the warehouse's main opening.

Lizbeth stared in disbelief at Anu's face. Constricted and eyes darting from side to side in horrendous shock and pain.

He bore his teeth. The muscles around his nose and mouth pulling to such a degree, his gums were in sight. The canines and two different pairs of teeth, Lizbeth caught her breath as she realized, were visibly growing.

A fair line of drool escaped from his mouth. His eyes had the darkening around and on his eyelids, seeming more intense, the red marks underneath those seemed to glow with a lesser intensity as his eyes.

Lizbeth held her breath as she noticed his eyes. They were red within red, redder then red, the miniscule iris vanishing completely. The center of the plate of crimson slowly grew to accommodate a circle of yellow and orange.

Lizbeth had the intuition she was in immense danger being anywhere near what creature Anu had descended to, thousands of times more so that she was already in hand.

Anu gave an audible, inhuman growl, almost like a guttural hiss. He retracted his arms from around Lizbeth and more rapidly stood and faced his unexpected attacker.

Lizbeth instantly recognized the man as the leader of the rag tag group, Anu's first victim that was held in stasis by whatever means Anu possessed. He bore a look of defiance, anger, and indiscernible terror and he pointed the rifle at Anu.

As quickly as the perp had been identified did the unexpected occur; Anu lifted his left palm towards the man, a red, energetic line of lightning ran around the extremity before it grew in strength and danced over, across and threw the man.

The Faunus gang member dropped to the ground, his body dancing to the demented tunes of the energy that played havoc with his body's nerves and muscle tissue. This lasted several seconds, the smell of burning meat quickly overran the sense of mold and sickly wet neglect that had perforated threw the warehouse made base.

Anu, regaining some manner of lucidity, grunted as he retrieved his body from its beastly control, dropping his arm and releasing the thunder he had generated into the floor. He closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously, after moments of waiting, he opened his eyes, revealing a pupil amid the tangerine tinted center that was slowly reverting to its initial form of pure crimson.

Anu nearly dropped as he turned to face Lizbeth, still a bewildered look on his face. "Messiah, what's wrong with your arm?" Lizbeth instantly spoke out without thinking.

Anu looked down, cradling the paled appendage. The nails had grown to wicked talons, his dark skin had become completely translucent, but ended faintly at his shoulder. Lizbeth noticed that a strange, alien rune had appeared on his chest. It was a white rune, contrasting the rich tan skin of its host, with two horizontal lines on either side of it, which at the ends had vertical lines leading down and up. As though both lines sheltered them, were two dots, cradled by the bars.

Anu held onto his injured side, only for his eyes to widen when he felt no blood. Lizbeth was equally perplexed, she FELT the shots on him due to their proximity.

Anu still appeared bewildered and deprived of energy, kneeling down in front of Lizbeth, "Best we retreat."

"Well, you're a little late for considering' that." A voice to the side dead panned sarcastically.

[][[[[

**:D hope you enjoyed! Sorry again for the long wait.**


	23. My Sword!

**Two years ago:**

Ironwood crossed his arms, "That would explain why every other expedition sent found only a blasted wasteland." He stated his thoughts out loud, for his own benefit more than anything.

Ozpin didn't react at first, continuing to have his eyes locked with the prisoner. "You used the Mineral Catalyst, XV-21, to destroy your own homeland. Why?"

Anubis looked up from his chair, chains on his upper arms and wrist, pinned to the floor. "What my fellows and I unwittingly released from our revenge mission was all consuming: doubt." He looked away from the two hunters. "When I returned to my home, I found it torn to pieces. People, corrupted and deranged from the prospect of power, had butchered one another in age old grievances long abandoned because I rediscovered how to use Ego as a weapon." He refocused his gaze, "Which did not match the horrors their acts had unleashed. The Children of Pain, the Consumer, the armies of no-one and the denizens of nightmares. The wars that had wracked my people had turned the land into Hell." He shook his head, tears gathering. "I used the Crusader and every damn ship I could find help from to get as many people off the continent as I could. I had to use the chemical to destroy everything that had gathered so it did not spread to other places and became irreparable!"

Ozpin and Ironwood did not respond, waiting for further explanation.

Anubis tugged at the chains. They strained from his unnatural might, but the days of him refusing to eat had made him extremely weak. "I-I wanted to die with them! The explosion from that chemical and the Dust network throughout the Domain should have claimed me as well as any other." He tugged again, the strain louder and forced Ironwood to take a quick glance at Ozpin for his own reaction, or lacking thereof.

Anubis shook his head, "Cursed." He shuttered, "The blood in me and on me has the one before you hexed." He mumbled. "Denied release and whatever small justice my victims will receive from my passing."

Ozpin grimaced, "No." He tapped his cane, "You have an opportunity."

Anubis didn't look up.

"Death, as you've said to your victims, shouldn't be an out." He walked over two paces, drawing the prisoners gaze. "I'm not going to lie and say what I offer is absolution, or peace of mind, but a man of your skills would be a waste if you were so quietly silenced." He bushed his glasses up his nose. "Join Beacon. Save lives."

Anubis looked on, somewhat interested. "I'm listening."

[][[[[

**Now**

"A little late to the 'get out' party." The man continued, he waved his hand lazily at the pair, "Still though, you scared the absolute shit outta those guys. I'm a bit impressed." He smiled toothy at Anu. He pointed, "I 'sume it was you who freaked the piss outta 'em?"

Anu glared. The newer interloper had a fresh group of local thugs at his flanks, all Faunus. He wore an open yellow jacket, revealing his chest and torso and the maze of scars he obtained and simple blue jeans. At the back of his waist was a long hilt that lead to a blocky sheathe. He had a mop of thick, burley, brown hair that dropped to his ears, barely concealing the white horns that scooped out at the sides of head. 'Either a bison or a buffalo Faunus'. He thought.

"I'll take the silence as a yes." He massaged and prodded his earlobe, looking bored. "Sure as hell wasn't the cop."

Lizbeth was instantly terrified, staring at the man sweating bullets.

"Next time, throw the uniform into a more concealed spot." He shrugged. "Not that there'll be a next time." He leant to the side, placing his hands in pockets and looking past the duo. Spotting the still twitching, writhing man, in pain and barely conscious. He chuckled, "That guy was my boss's kid. He'll want your hea-"

He was cut off sentence when Anu sped from his spot and planted his foot against the man's forehead, the kick sending him flying back into the street and hitting a building on the opposite side.

As the man looked up when he was on his feet in the second long recovery, he saw the barely clothed man clubbing down the last of his escort with that sheathed sword, swiftly racing towards him and leaping up to strike.

He growled, unsheathing the rectangular sword from his hip and stabbed it forth.

The two weapons collided, sparks skidding off the Bison Faunus. The sword was as blocky as its sheathe, save that the 'tip' of was a ragged edge of rough, broken metal with a sheer triangle running down the middle, effectively 'catching' Shu with the sword.

Anu looked momentary off balance by the weapon before regaining his focus, grabbing the sheathed blade and sharply twisting. What he hoped was to disarm the man was struck as the man hopped and twisted his very body to the movement of the attempt, landing on his feet at Anu's opposite flank.

He looked displeased as he help the weapon lock, "You attacked me when I wasn't looking. Son of a bitch must pay."

Anu pulled Shu out from its steely grasp, expecting the man to reposition, but pointed his sword at Anu.

The Shira-Kai spat blood as a shard of metal shot from the weapon, the shard penetrating deep into his chest. Anu fell to his knees, dropping Shu. Bullets were one thing, something that can be easily pulled out and never penetrated that deeply from his Iron-Hide, but this was... Anu's thinking was severed as he tumbled fully to his side.

Lizbeth stared, stating her thoughts out loud. "That's the Broken Blade. That makes you Kronin, the Enforcer."

Kronin took a look at the cop, in shock. He waved a hand at her, "Such a shame. We could have bided our time in a fight but you had to be a sneaky bastard. Sensed a good one from you too." Shaking his head, he reached down and picked up Shu, surprised by its heavy weight. He took one more look between the woman and his fallen foe. "You better get outta here before my buds wake up." Sheathing Broken Blade and placing Shu on his shoulder.

Kronin retrieved the unconscious descendant of his employer, slung over his shoulder and began his long walk back his hidey-hole.

[][[[

Lizbeth was afraid to approach Anu, fearing a similar case that had occurred to the bullet riddled man not moments before. He held still and no sounds came from the man, held in stasis.

"Anu...?" She pleaded, fearing the worst had happened. Slowly approaching his prone form, she spotted a silvery, triangular jut of shrapnel coming out of his chest. Her hearing was able to pick up his light, irregular heart rate and shallow breathing.

"[Pull]..." He whispered, before coughing. "Pull it."

"T-t-that might make it worse, you need a hospital." She stuttered.

He shook his head, "Heal..." Before he plopped his head back onto the ground.

Lizbeth recalled when he asked her to remove that bullet on the roof. How she was so craven she couldn't help her savior. She's been gathering of habit of cowardice recently. She grit her teeth, 'It stops right here.'

She strode to Anu's side, kneeling down beside him. She looked for a sign of approval but was terrified further from his utter lack of consciousness. She steeled herself as she grasped the shrapnel, slick and sticky from blood. She closed her eyes and tugged, feeling it wriggle against bone. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She pulled again, feeling it give. Desperation forced her other hand to assist and she gave a final tug, but had the feeling it was unneeded, the shard felt like it was being pushed out from the other side, falling over when she succeeded in pulling it out.

The blood around the wound seemed to brighten, going from a normal blood red to an intense crimson. Whether the blood replaced the flesh and bone lost or was the symptom of rapid regeneration, she couldn't say. 'Messiah, that's gross to look at.' She thought.

The instant the wound fully recovered, Anu's eyes flicked to life, his Akuma manifesting as he watched the man walk down the road. He stood, not sparing a glance to Lizbeth. Anu, in a sickening act that made Lizbeth almost vomit, ran his hand across the still bright blood and drew it to his mouth, licking it from his digits.

He refocused his strength, cracking his neck. In a step, he sped down the road with unholy speed.

[][[[

Kronin stopped walking when he heard a whip of wind pass by him. He smelt a hint of blood from it and it piqued enough interest for him to turn back down the avenue. He saw the tumbled cop, on hands and knees atypical of their kind. Then he noticed that the man was gone from his spot.

He reached for Broken only for another hand to clamp on his wrist painfully and kept his hand still. He turned his head to see his victim glaring with undeniable rage and bloodlust, grasping his looted sword from the free space on the hilt. "You will not have her." Anu stated, low and threatening.

Kronin's eyebrow twitched. 'Can't do shit with the boy on me.'

Anu closed his eyes, his eyelids pitch black. "You are not worthy, nor accepted to carry Shu."

Kronin wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he swore the cloud cover started to gather out of thin air and everything got a metric shit ton darker. He scoffed, "I'm more worthy then you, you sneaky, weak, bas-"

Anu's entire body paled as he opened his eyes and Kronin shuttered audibly. The area around his Akuma had merged with his eye marks, the red area growing in size around the pair of organs. His iris was orange and yellow, no pupil existed, and his once white sclera had turned a burning scarlet.

Kronin felt fear in his heart, lungs, in his very bones as his gaze lengthened, unexplainable and petrifying, failing to try to fight the fearful vocalizations that came from his throat. His will snapped like branch when he heard from the man, without his mouth moving, "_You're pathetic attempts at my life only make me stronger_."

[][[[

Kronin sprinted the opposite direction, running past Lizbeth as he carried himself and his charge back into the warehouse. Lizbeth heard glass shatter, assuming they jumped out a window or something.

Anu stood sill for a moment, holding his blade with both hands and leaning his head against the hilt in relief. The cloud cover that had miraculously appeared, receded and the color to his skin returned with it. He shivered and shook his head comically from side to side. He turned, the once white mark over his heart now black, smiling contently at Lizbeth, returning to the still prone woman. He held his hand out silently.

Lizbeth backed away from it, recalling the image of him eating his own blood.

Anu's smile instantly faded, retracting his hand. "I apologize. Today has been most distasteful." He looked to the side and grimaced, "If it will make you feel any better; I'm going to start a fast. For repentance of my... exertion."

"Explanation! Now!" Lizbeth demanded as she stood up, holding a finger ti him.

Anu flinched a pace back, "Yes. Of course." He bowed his head, "You have been very patient with me, and I thank you for it."

Lizbeth stood impatiently, hands on hips. One a little closer to her gun then Anu would like.

He coughed, "I beg your pardon, but let us do this elsewhere?"

Lizbeth's eyes narrowed. "Fine, but yo-" she cursed loudly as Anu picked her up and started his unreal sprint down the streets till they were in more familiar territory. Namely; Tuscans book store.

"Ahhh!" Lizbeth yelled out all of her frustration before swinging a fist at Anu, landing across his right jaw. "Stop doing that!"

Anu rubbed his cheek, "Lord of Thunder; you punch harder than Rhaine..." He mumbled, before nodding. "Very well. I ap-"

"No sorry. Tell me what the hell you are." Lizbeth threw her gust to the side.

Anu proceeded to try and fold his arms into his nonexistent sleeves. Sighing when he realized the err. "'Tis an awkward explanation but bear with me:" the man proceeded to explain everything he knew that wouldn't instill further terror in the women. Namely, his clan, where he was from and how different his powers were from the typical Hunter.

As they exchanged on the sidewalk, Lizbeth tapped her foot. "Ego? How does it work?"

Anu hummed in thought, "It uses something called an 'Emotional Excess'. A feeling one predominantly has in order to fuel their abilities and control their passion constructively."

She rose an eyebrow, "What's yours?"

Anu hesitated, mouth open before he bowed his head a bit. "Rage."

Lizbeth blinked, "Well, before today I would've been surprised." She scratched her head, "I mean, when you were shot I felt like I was looking a Grimm in the mouth."

A side of Anu's lip curved up in a forced smile, "I can understand that."

[][[[

"Wait, so you move the two and then move that there?" Ruby stared at the paper and the book.

Her current tutor bluntly responded, "Wrong. You subtract this, square these, move the two then you move that there."

Ruby scratched her head cluelessly.

While the leader of team RWBY, Shora acknowledged, was brilliant on the battlefield, not so much in the book department. Her ignorance is waning Shora's patience thin, sighing, "Wish I could do that memory-share thing Anu does. I think it'd solve a couple of your problems with understanding this."

"Say what?"

"Anu has shown me memories, using his hypnosis ability. It felt like I was actually there. It's very interesting."

Ruby froze. Not the fact that she was a bit jeal- 'No! It's not jealousy!' She corrected. Not the fact that she was annoyed that Anu didn't tell her about this memory share ability, but the idea of what it could do.

Her mind raced with possibilities. Specifically one: 'Could i see my mother again'?

[

End of chapter

[

**I'll be putting my little comments and explanations in the bottom from now on unless i have dire news.**

**This chapter has been hell for me. What's worse, I had it done but I somehow managed to delete more than half of it one time. I yelled at the phone for close to a half hour. Got strange looks from the dogs after that. Moral: don't type using your iphone.**

**There was a part with Anu coming back to Beacon and stuff that might be in the area of somehow asking him out, but I decided to put it on the next chapters to do list.**

**Reviews? Please? Been a while and kinda lost in the dark whether I'm doing well by my followers and an author in general haha.**

**Ps. Blood lotus aren't vampires. They eat blood, but it's more like a power/nutrient boost, it's one of the things they share with the Grimm. It deals more with devouring other Egos and the Dust that people naturally have in their bodies. Think harvesting bee hives for honey :)**

**See ya later! Hopefully sooner!**


	24. Typical Y Chromosome

_'Those of Blood Lotus are thus: vane, arrogant, cynical, dominating, exploiting and we love our families and friends more than a normal mortal can understand.'_

**-High Lord Phiina-Warmaster. Conclave of the Line, five-hundred years ago**.

[][[[

'I wonder what her skin tastes like.' Anu thought for the briefest of moments before he cut himself off. He blinked, still looking attentive as Weiss continued to speak but internally was utterly confused, 'Where in Hell's vast pit did that come from?' "I beg your pardon, I... 'Spaced out' as it's called. Can you repeat that?"

Weiss glared, "Well, men are men. Species didn't effect that." She mumbled, "I'll give you the short version: Yang wants to see you in the gym." Before she walked past him not saying another word.

'Well, i deserved that. Rude act for rude act.' He rubbed his eyebrows.

He just recently returned to Beacon, utterly exhausted from the events of today. 'Shot, stabbed and now talked down to by some mongrel hum-' he stopped mid pace. 'Where are these thoughts coming from? The Schnee is a trying individual but I wouldn't call her a mongrel.'

He began his agonizingly long walk to the gymnasium. The moment he opened the door, he had to cease his pace and stop himself from baring his teeth.

Sweat. Wet metal. Sickening, artificial scents. Hormones of both genders. They all hit his strangely sensitive nose like a tidal wave of offense. Anu breathed out, 'My using the later stages of Akuma must have caused greater harm then i assumed.'

His scarlet eyes scanned room, noting the various machines and contraptions the people used for building strength and endurance. He saw the tied wave of gold as it caressed the front of a small, narrow bed that Yang lay upon as she pushed a bar with two metal wheels up and down.

'By all the gods, were her breasts always THAT am-' he almost said out loud, 'Hell? What's wrong with me? She's a college, a good one and a friend. When have i been so easily distracted by her assets?' He shook his head from side to side. 'Mayhaps it's her work out attire.' She was wearing grey sweat pants and an achingly tight yellow t shirt.

Approaching the weight station, Yang caught him out of the corner of her eye. 'Dunno why he has no shirt. Who cares? Free eye candy.' She set the weight up, rubbing her palms together before sitting up. "Hey beautiful." She smiled.

Anu felt a remarkable... impatience, the sensation forced the pleasantries out of the area. "Hello Yang, Wiess mentioned you needed my presence?"

Yang nodded, "Yea. I talked to Blake recently."

Anu's heart plummeted to his gut, presuming the worst. "I see."

She shrugged, "Hey don't be embarrassed about it. It's okay."

Anu grimaced, "No, it is not."

Yang stood up and pushed his shoulder, "Cmon! You're new here, you don't know clothes, and you're a guy. Someone's gotta dress you up so you look pretty." Giving him a look up and down before she finished, "Well... prettier."

Anu looked at her, confused at the subject, turning his head slightly. "Ihtah?"

'Holy shit! Ruby was right! He does look a bit like Zwei when he does that!' Yang laughed internally while keeping her exterior as calm as she could. "Uh yup! Agreed to help you pick out clothes!"

Anu's mood was elevated once more, smilingly broadly, "Ah! Excellent! Thank you a great-"

Yang's face suddenly was very serious, holding up a finger. "But one condition!"

Anu did a lesser version of his head turn, "Ihtah? What would it be?"

Yang smiled teasingly, "Dinner. Someplace nice. Wine and plenty of conversation involved."

Anu nodded, "We have a deal then."

"Alright, i'll see you tomorrow aro-" she saw faint movement behind Anu, a meter or so past.

Anu's face snarled, turning around on a dime and catching a weighted-ball the size of a head with a single hand.

"Sky... Russel..." Anu growled.

The two of team CRDL stared in amazement. The grey haired one gaped, "How the hell did you see that coming?"

"Because I look into the eyes of women instead of their chests." Anu's finger scrunched into the ball, the sand pouring out of the holes.

When he dropped what remained of the exercise tool, he shocked himself back to sanity when he saw his talons had returned. He closed the hand, concealing it at his side. "Do not dare strike while a friend is present." He warned before turning back to Yang.

The woman had a rosy tint on her face, but quickly returned to her normal visage. "Good moves." She punched him on the shoulder. "See you right after quitin' time tomorrow."

[[[[[

"You want him to show you your own memory?" Blake asked skeptically, "Sounds a bit... redundant."

Ruby puffed her cheeks at her partner. "Shora says he can make it almost like it was happening in real life. Memories are memories, but..."

One of Blake's eyebrows rose, "What memory did you want to see by the way?"

Ruby's face melted into a kind of passive, apathetic expression. "I think that's a bit private."

[][[[

"No." Ren repeated.

"But cmooooonnn it'll be so funny!"

"No." He state more firmly.

"It's just good fun!"

Ren sighed, "I don't think Rhaine would take it all in good fun if you threw a dog biscuit at her. I'm sure shed try and shoot you."

While Jaune agreed with Ren, the entire idea made by Nora made him smile. 'It WOULD be hilarious.' Like himself, several others chaffed slightly from the Atlasian's arrogant, violent nature. Not as much as her own team, but some pay back was all too enticing.

Besides it distracted him from his current issues with Cardin.

He looked to both his sides, frowning when he didn't see Pyrrha. 'She's avoiding me again.'

"Huba-huba!" Nora called out as she giddily ran down the hall to a shirtless Anu. "I like your arms! Can i touch them?"

Anu blushed, "N-no? Would you be offended if i declined?"

Nora was close to being decent and letting him be, buuut, "Yep!" She smiled toothily.

Anu sighed before Nora started meading his left arm with her hands, "Where do you work out? How many pushups do you do? Feels like a-"

Ren's cool broke down, "Nora!"

The pair of Anu and Nora looked to the green clad human. "Stop that." Before looking to Anu, "She wouldn't have been offended."

The later gave a puzzled look at Nora, "Aren't you his?"

Nora huffed, "We're together, not together- together."

"Ihtah? Are you just sexual partners rather than romantic?"

The trio of humans face flushed. "No! Were just friends!" Nora corrected.

[][[[

Anu opened the door to his room to the unfortunate cadence of Rahine's demented laughter. "YOU WEAR BRIEFS?!"

Raf stretched his arm out to catch the underpants his fucking partner held, missing as she doges under his reach and ran to the other side of the room. "Fuck you! What I wear isn't any of your business!"

Shora was on her bunk, reading, occasionally glancing at the debacle. When she noticed Anu at the doorway she gave him a nod, 'welcoming' him back.

Rhaine hopped on top of her bunk, waving the garment at him. "Hey! Guess what! I respect you more than our leader that wears man-diapers!"

Anu sighed. 'One night of rest. Just one.' Proceeding into the room without responding.

Rhaine took offense to the apathy he excluded, throwing back the underwear. "Hey! At least say something!"

Anu didn't really understand why his body and mind had been reacting the way it has been. Even with the title of Demon, he was nowhere near this... Instinctive. "Leave me be." He warned, taking a shirt from his drawer.

"Hey man." Raf placed a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

Anu turned around, growling and baring extended canines, eyes reverting to the Akuma.

Raf yelled out in fright as he backed off, holding his arms up.

Anu wordlessly slipped out of the room.

[][[[

'Somethings happening to me.' He was running down the hall, finding a balcony for some air. Close to donning the long lost shirt, Anu noticed the seal on his chest had yet to disappear and was still black.

'Its never stayed active for this long.' The Seal of Binding, as he called it, was something that helped him filter a great deal of the emotional backlash he had from his bloodline.

The clan of Blood Lotus were comparable to Wolves, while other Faunus were dogs. This comparison is inaccurate, mostly due to every member of the bloodlines having some form of ancestral memory. Anu wasnt sure if this form he had was extreme or tame compared to the others, but...

Anu had to close his eyes and for the moment acknowledge fully what he is.

But the Grimm that has been instilled in his being is now as palpable as itd ever been. He noticed his hand had yet to change back, the claws still fully visible. None of his pigments had paled, which was a blessing in itself.

He looked up to the great, shattered moon. The still night, the beaming stars.

'I'll spend my night out here.'

"Uh Anu?"

The man turned to see Ruby in her pajamas, in the doorway to the balcony.

Anu put the shirt on, quickly buttoning it up. "Can i help you, Ruby?"

Ruby seemed very nervous as she walked outside. "Did I interrupt anything?"

'Of course you petty thing.' "Not at all." Anu smiled, he waved a hand. "Please join me."

She quickly scurried to his side and looked upon the view.

Anu was too focused keeping his thoughts under control, and she was too nervous to ask what she desires. The only result was a pregnant silence.

"How was your day?" Ruby managed to say first.

'Terrible. My blood has touched this filthy earth protecting weaklings like you.' "Tiring. Had a bit of a police excursion."

"Uh oh, what happened?" Ruby asked earnestly concerned.

"There was a robbery. I helped." He smiled.

Ruby blinked, "You helped the robbery?"

"Oh no! I mean i helped in its justice. I found the ones who committed the act, informing the police."

Ruby grinned broadly, "Cool! They deputized you for it?"

Anu shrugged, "I don't think so. How was your day?"

"Fun. Our match made my day." Ruby chirped.

"I'm glad." 'For a lowly human, she is strangely attr-' he growled at his inner voice, 'I shall mot tread that road of thought.'

"Anu?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask for a favor?"

Anu smiled, "It's no favor if it's for a friend."

Ruby blushed, "T-thanks." she rubbed her arms, "You know that hypnosis thing you do? To help my insomnia?"

Anu nodded.

"Well, Shora told me you can show memories. As if they were real."

Anu turned his head, "Hmm, what would you have of me?"

Ruby fidgeted, "I-I was wondering if y-you could..." She shivered. "Um, i have a memory-" She was interrupted when Anu embarrassed her.

The thought kind of was lost as her body was being warmed by Anu's.

He chuckled, "Don't want you to catch a cold." He tilted his head, "Let us go back inside. Where its warmer." He tried to dislodge himself from her but felt his back being crushed by Ruby as she repaid the hug.

"Um, Ruby?"

She breathed in his smell. It was masculine, she wouldn't call it a musk but it wasn't pleasant in the traditional sense. When she tried to find an approximate for it, she couldn't. It smelt like how Anu smelt, nothing else was like it.

Now it was Anu's turn to blush, "Are you alright?"

Ruby felt a small spark of courage from their adjacency. "I want to see my mom again." She almost whispered, "Just one more time."

[][[[

**FILLER! FILLER NIGHT! Haha enough Michael Jackson for now!**

**I've decided that Anu's romance will be amongst the members of team RWBY. Not that that narrows it down much, but hey, baby steps ;) x)**

**Later taters!**


	25. Living Memory

_**'In regards to the Seventeen Pantheons of the Old Gods that one ruled Antillia, the latest and arguably most influential trio of deities were the Dark-Hawk, Jackal and Viper. They were created to cull all of mortal existence when the First Ones rebelled against their masters, representing the storm that would cleanse the world. Wind, Thunder and Rain.'**_

_Scholar-Rahabin, one hundred years ago. Excerpt from the 'Observation of Extinct Divinity'_

[][[[[

Anu draped his white shirt over Ruby's shoulders. While he had the urge to laugh at the irony of giving away the shirt so readily when he's waited hours to obtain, he obtained. "Can't we do this inside? It's getting cold." Ruby pouted.

Anu rubbed his head, "What we're about to do may cause a great of noise. On both of our parts."

Ruby's eyes shrunk, "W-W-What?! Is this going to hurt?!"

Anu waved a hand at her, "Certainly not." Looking over the balcony before closing the doors. "I presume this memory is going to be deeply emotional? Not all of it good?"

Ruby irked, then ashamed. "Yeah."

He turned, "What you may experience could pale what is actually happening in reality." He walked over, sat cross legged in front of her and pointing with his hand that she should do similar. Instead of crossing her legs, laid them straight, but made sure that her feet didn't make contact with Anu's knees. "You may be crying in the mind, but you'll be waling out here." He scratched his eyebrow. "It may even affect me if I don't guard myself."

Ruby's eyes were drawn to his nails. They were long. Not a normal long, if long nails were normal on a guy, but they were long-long. Possible weapons long, but he didn't have them on the other hand.

Anu noticed her attention and quickly placed the hand in his lap and curling the fingers. "Do you have any questions?"

Ruby shook her head, "A-actually, what's it going to be like? In your head?"

Anu smiled, "We won't be in mine. We will share our minds, more so yours." He gestured to the side with his free hand, "I give you ultimate control of what is to happen. If you feel you must disconnect for any reason, summon the means to do so."

"How do you wake yourself up?"

Anu pointed at his own head, "I have training and certain... means that allow me to awaken from choice, unless I am in a very deep stupor. Most use things such as fear." He shuddered, "Shora is the most terrifying."

Ruby looked interested, "What'd she make?"

Anu grimaced, "I can't even describe it. Imagine the smell of a long dead ox, then-"

She waved her hands in front of him, "Whoa! Already grossed out!"

Anu grinned, "Anything else?"

"Can you give us- me privacy while I do this?" Ruby corrected quickly.

Anu smiled nervously, "Ima... may not be possible. We'll be in both our minds. What you know in the experience, I'll know and same with me and you. To some extent at least."

Ruby puffed a cheek, feeling odd about sharing something so intimate with him. She trusts Anu a lot and is really nice, but that unspoken stigma of why it bothered her persisted.

Anu held out one of his hands to her, smiling, reaching out for hers.

Ruby blushed as he slid his palms under hers off her thighs.

"You shan't fear any word of this departing my lips." He gripped her hands reassuringly. "Swear on my own mothers memory, I do."

Ruby was taken aback from the oath.

Anu's face usually not that far from a grin or warm smile, was strained by a wry line for lips. "I know the agony involved in such a confrontation, dear Ruby." He released her hands, waving one at her, smiling. "Enough this seriousness! Do you wish to begin?"

At first Ruby was surprised by the sudden change of subject and mood, but thought that it was a way of him avoiding delving further into the topic. She grinned back, excited and nervous, "Sure!" She chirped.

Anu scooted closer, much to Ruby's growing sense of... 'fluster' she calls it. He leant in his head, "Look into my eyes."

Ruby focused, doing as he commanded. The familiar sensation of numbness had filled her, but then continued to grow until she felt as if her body was dissolving into the air. Her vision darkened, feeling like she was falling into the floor.

[][[

Anu's conscious descended into the Ego-Scape, dragging Ruby along with him. 'This session maybe the most precarious I've ever performed.' He thought. 'Not only has my Akuma reached the limits of what I have previously managed to reach, although temporary, may make this distancing of emotion difficult. Not to mention whatever is happening to my thought process.'

Perhaps the two were related. The effects of Ego corruption are not only unexpected, but almost undetectable without an outside source.

His thoughts 'touched' the seal on his breast. Fear wisped threw his mind as he pondered what would have happened if it was not placed upon him, denying the emotions and endless, all consuming fury of his ancestor's memories. Allowing him his second chance, allowing his empathy and compassion to return when his Akuma devoured both when Juliana had perished.

He was brought out of his musings when he felt solid once more. To his right he saw the essence that would be Ruby, a swirling, nebulous collection of dusty particles, and beyond he saw the stale, grey, featureless purgatory of untouched Ego-Mass. She would not solidify and awaken until her mind found something familiar. Such as a ground, sky, wind, and so on.

He sat on his knees, focusing on a place he knew was easy to form, amateur to mold, closing his eyes for several seconds before opening them again and being met with the massive, orange dunes of his homeland.

He glanced once more to Ruby, her form beginning to return.

Anu then pondered, 'Hmmmm maybe I can alter my own appearance.' It was a skill that was never really taught. His instructors of the Akuma, the Spirits of the Hall of Blood, weren't the teachers of such useless aesthetic issues. He turned his back to Ruby, and focused.

[][[[[

"Breathe." Anu's voice rang, devoid of accent.

Ruby sighed, feeling air fill her lungs. Looking about, she saw the robed back of Anu. The same as how she first met him, save two very different factors; the two pointed, black, grey and white ears on his head.

She was close to bringing the subject up, but was interrupted when Anu instructed uncomfortably. "May you please conjure some clothing before we begin?"

Ruby looked down and shrieked, covering herself with her arms. "W-where are my clothes?!" She cried out.

"You come here with none. You must summon then here." Anu scratched his head, 'Should have faced her during this. Would have acted as 'payment' for this venture.' Anu was disgusted by the thought, multiple times stronger than it had once been. 'When did I become such a crude, aggravated wretch?'

'Who says you haven't always been one, but didn't know it yet?' The thought, feeling almost separate from his mind responded.

A shiver of fear crawled from his muscles into his heart from it.

"Ah! That's better!" Ruby called out.

Anu shook his head, before turning around to face her. She had her usual attire, save a large, silver letter 't' now adorned her belt. He tilted his head, "That's not among your usual possession. What is it?"

Ruby scratched her head, "Was my mom's actually. She was a bit of a nut-ball in the religious area." She pointed to him, "My turn, what's with the ears?"

Anu chuckled, feeling them twitch from the attention. "Oh, these."

"I dunno about you, but I like your original look better than this."

Anu coughed into a fist, the smile a smaller grin. "This _is_ my original appearance." Lightly scratching one ear, "At least, as far as Priest goes."

Ruby felt embarrassed immediately. "Wow. My foot tastes particularly salty today."

Anu looked shocked, "Why in the gods' names did you lick your foot?"

Ruby laughed, "It's a saying! You know? When you say something really awkward."

Anu smiled, waving a hand. "Twas a simple mistake." He tried looking up at his own ears, he shrugged, closing his eyes. "Besides, less grooming, when one considers."

Ruby then looked around, "Where are we?"

"Nowhere." Anu said, before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Close your eyes. Reach for the memory, and pull it out. Feel everything. The smells, the sun or moon light, the crunch of dirt beneath your feet. The rest will come with it."

Ruby did as was instructed, which Anu replied with closing his own.

He felt the memory like a current. It ebbed and flowed as her concentration waned and returned.

He reach out to the projection with his mind and dragged it over the desert like a massive carpet.

Anu smiled at the success of it. She either has a clear memory or a most powerful imagination. "Open your eyes."

Ruby's silver eyes were greeted with the vast greenery, the sound of waves hitting the shore nearby, and the smell of salt from the sea.

Patch. Her home.

[][[[

"IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?!" Rhaine explained.

"How many times it takes for what the flying _fuck _Anu did to make sense!" Raf yelled back.

Shora closed her book, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I also desire an answer." She replied calmly.

Rhaine had a theory on what was wrong, but explain its remote probability would break her oath to the Emperor himself. Two no good team members are the last thing that would force her to do so. "WHY DONT YOU TWO FUCK-TARDS ASK HIM?!" Throwing her hands onto the air.

"Because asking 'are you fine' nearly got my head chomped off! Literally!"

Rhaine scoffed, "You wouldn't miss it."

Shora hopped off her bed. "You know something."

Rhaine's voice was caught. "The hell I do!"

Shora crossed her arms, "You would be laughing and calling us 'dumbasses' if we weren't onto something. Like the lost weapon incident."

Raf groaned and said quietly, "Why'd you have to bring that back up?"

Rhaine huffed, "Why'd I tell you anyways?"

Shora walked over to Rhaine and smacked her hand against her cheek.

Rhaine almost drooled from the sheer rage that built up within her.

"Because you're not the only one at risk. I'm at risk, Raf's at risk, JNPRs at risk, the damn instructor's maybe."

"FUCK YOU!" Rhaine was instantly restrained by Raf who put her in a full nelson as she reached an arm back to punch. "Get off!"

"Settle down Rhaine!" Raf demanded.

Shora wasn't phased as she continued, "I have never contemplated Anu being angry. He doesn't seem like the kind to be so easily enraged. You would have chased him and demanded retribution or explanation. Unless you had prior knowledge of the scale of the emotions to him, you were afraid to." Shora crossed her arms. "You are not like me, you need answers because it satisfies the confines of your life. You would have confronted him, but are afraid to and didn't. You know something about him, something we obviously do not."

Rhaine pointed her arms up, sliding out from the grapple and kicked Raf in the gut. Pointing at Shora, "To hell with you!"

Shora's eyelid twitched. "Tell me what is wrong with Anu. Now."

"You damn Valians and you're fucking arrogance! There are things some people are not only unwilling to talk about, but unable to! I swore I wouldn't!"

Shora was getting maybe as livid as Anu, but didn't show it. "Then don't talk about it, talk around it."

"The hell does that mean?" "The fuck what?" Raf stood, hand on gut and Rhaine demanded.

"You cannot speak, so write. You cannot claim, so declare the opposite." She held up a finger. "My name is _not_ Shora. For example."

"You're an idiot." Rhaine scoffed.

The twitch returned to Shora's eye. "No. I am NOT an idiot."

[][[[[

Ruby was frozen, staring at her old house.

"You wanted this, correct?"

Ruby didn't budge.

Anu grimaced, not sure what to say. "It will hurt. There is no abating this, but life is pain and it is to be overcome." He pointed to the wooden house, "You WILL overcome this pain. I see it in you."

Ruby hadn't even taken a step towards her mother yet, but was parlayed from the idea of seeing her again.

"Do you desire my presence wh-"

"No!" Ruby yelled. "No. I have to do this."

Anu looked concernedly to her. "As you wish."

"Actually, can you do something for me?"

Anu nodded.

Ruby smirked, "Lean down here."

Anu blushed, leaning his head down. He almost yelped when she grabbed his ears and started scratching and rubbing them.

There was that instant of shock but then the sensation of euphoria and pleasure smothered it and covered him like a blanket.

Anu closed his eyes and grinned idiotically. "Ahhhh [feels gooooood]..." He mumbled lowly.

Ruby smiled, letting his ears go and stepping down from her tip-toes.

Anu pouted, "You're a terrible tease."

"Haha, sorry, really needed to get that out of my system." Before looking back to the house.

"I'll be right outside. Come, I'll open the door just a peek." Anu walked to the cabin and placed a hand on the knob to the door.

Ruby gulped, her stride having as much weight as the irons Yang uses.

Until she was facing the door.

Anu slowly twisted the knob and pushed it open an inch.

Ruby's hand did the rest, the later stepping away. Her foot crossed the threshold, first seeing the dinner table, with four chairs, the kitchen. The smell of the oh so familiar essence of baking cookies in the oven.

Next, the living room with a large fireplace and two couches. On one, sat a white cloaked, fair skinned woman with black hair. She had a book in her lap as she held a cup of coffee in both hands.

Ruby instantly felt tears welling.

Summer felt a draft from the open door and turned her head. Silver eyes met, the eldest of the two smiled. "Welcome back little Rose. How was your day?" She stood, placing the book on where she sat. "You're home early. The cookies won't be done for ten minutes."

[][[[

Anu's returned acute sense of hearing picked up the voice, put the empathic connection that they shared at the moment made his own chest feel like it was being held in a vice, as if a serpent had wrapped around his torso and continuously constricted its body. While the sensation wasn't the least bit pleasant, it did make Anu smile. It meant that there was a catharsis of some kind.

'Hope she won't mind me taking a small peak.' He thought.

'Hmph. Maybe the mother is even more attractive than the daughter.'

Anu growled at the thought. 'I am disgusted with you. Tell me what you are!'

The perversion did not respond.

'If you cannot handle the result, do not declare such filth.' He 'said', before he began his stealthful walk to the open door, now vacant of Ruby.

[][[[[

Ruby ran from her spot at the door and quickly embraced her dead mother, the later almost tumbling back from the force of the glomp.

Ruby's tears were released, soaking into the white battle-corset as she sobbed.

Summer was instantly worried, "Ruby, what's wrong?" She asked, extremely concerned.

"N-nothing." Ruby wept. "Happy to see you..."

Summer's heart warmed and she smiled, placing a hand on her head. "There there." Running fingers threw her hair. They stood in the hug for minutes, before Ruby stepped back and wiped her tears on a sleeve. "Come, sit. Tell me about your day." Summer held a hand as she guided her to the couch. "How is your Uncle Qrow?"

Ruby managed to regain at least a usable amount of intelligence, where she said. "He's okay. Last time I saw him."

"Still teaching you the scythe?" Summer continued. Ruby was close to continuing before Summer inquired as she looked at the open door with an odd, questioning expression on her face. "Ruby dear, did you bring a friend home?"

Ruby blinked before looking back at the door. She seethed, "Anu!"

The jackal-eared man realized he was discovered looking shocked before retreating his head from the door. "Quack! Quack!" He 'imitated'.

"Ducks don't nest anywhere near here!" Ruby stood from the couch as she declared.

[][[[[[

"I thought you said you'd leave me alone!" Ruby grabbed Anu by his robes and shook him.

"Aw! My daughter has her very first stalker!" Summer smiled gleefully.

"I'm not stalking her!" "He's not stalking me!" They both yelled.

Summer pouted, "Two against one isn't fair." She gave Anu a curious look, "I'm surprised you're a Faunus."

Anu chuckled, "The ears gave me away then?"

"No not in that way." Summer brayed her lips. "I always thought a human would peruse my daughter. Not that I'm complaining! It'd be adorable to have grandchildren with ears like yours!"

Anu and Ruby's faces turned crimson as they stared at Summer. Ruby gave a small, "Eh?"

Anu meekly mumbled, "You don't even know my name."

Summer cackled, "Ah! I'm sorry! Too busy picturing the wedding!" She presented her hand to the even more flushed Anu. "My name is Summer Rose."

He took the hand, still red from head to toe. "I-I am Anu Icarusi Priest Cadens."

Summer chuckled, "Which name do I call you?"

'Indeed, she is her mother.' He thought before smiling. "Anu is excellent."

Sunmer's face suddenly became suggestive. "Which name will replace Ruby's maiden name?"

"Uhhh..." Anu drawled. "W-which ever she desires?"

The grip on his hand tightened to where Anu actually felt pain. "Good answer." Before released his hand. "Would you like some coffee?" Her normal, welcoming smile returned.

[][[[

Yang looked around the room, placing her workout gear on her bed. "Hey Blake, where's Ruby? It's getting late."

Blake looked up from her book, body under her covers. "She went looking for Anu."

Yang 'hmm'ed, taking the clothing out of her bag and into the dirty clothes hamper. "Do ya know what for?"

Blake was close to answering her, but bit her tongue and shrugged.

Yang sighed, "I'm gunna look for 'em." 'I swear, if hes touched Ruby...'

[][[[

"Please! I have to tell him this one!"

Ruby wanted to melt into the ground. Summer has been telling Anu every single embarrassing childhood story she had. "No no no!"

Anu was sandwiched between the two Roses as they spoke, yelled and laughed.

'These two just need to lose their clothing and this would be paradise.'

'Gods. Why? Where did you come from?!'

'I've always been here Anu. Unlike you, Usurper.'

'Demon wouldn't even want to try to undermine my own thoughts. Who are you?!'

"Anu!" Ruby yelled.

The man jumped off the couch and fell off the back from the surprise.

Ruby ran around the couch while Summer laughed. "Skittish isn't he?"

Anu stood up instantly, "I beg your pardon, but i need some fresh air." He excused himself and dashed out the door.

The two stared at the outline where he was before he practically teleported out of the house.

[][[[

"Crap, it looks like it's about to rain." Jaune muttered as he and Pyrrha shared the walk back to Beacon from the airbus, groceries (junk food mostly) in hand.

"Mhm." Pyrrha agreed, keeping a passive face the entire excursion.

Despite the tension they now share, Jaune was a bit relieved to see her out of armor, but she had to lay low so not to bring too much attention from being recognized as a celebrity. She had an unflattering green hoody with the university logo 'Mythral Tech' and a pair of grey jeans, red hair loose on her shoulders.

Jaune was concerned that she was trying to live in that copper corset. 'Not that would be TERRIBLE.' He smirked internally.

"Hey, been meaning to ask; who taught you to fight with all those weapons?" Jaune managed to ask.

Pyrrha shrugged. "I had several instructors."

Jaune smiled uncomfortably from the answer and said, "I see."

"Who taught you you're weapons?" Pyrrha asked, more to lighten the thickening air between them then genuine curiosity.

It did quite the opposite as he swallowed, "No one, taught myself. Looked stuff up on my Scroll."

"I see." Pyrrha replied, though the statement was more of a confirmation of her own opinions then a mockery of a line that Jaune just said.

The young Arce sighed. 'Well. I didn't start training till half a year ago.'

"You could ask for help."

'Great, she's bringing THIS up again.' "I don't want help."

"But you need it." The red head sighed. "I will say no more of this."

The two proceeded to the front of the Academy but stopped when they saw a group of four walking around the walls near the entrance.

The group wasn't familiar to them, at first were thought to be an older class but the thought was quickly stomped out as one asked, "They eat in the same place they sleep? Barbarians." A female, having both a set of elk horns and floppy rabbit ears.

The foursome wore elaborate and different robes that made him instantly recall Anu's, but his seemed far more utilitarian when compared to these. The lead male of them wore a dark purple, with vines etched in gold spiraling and crawling all over the fabric. His face was severe with sharp angles and locked in a scowl, he had very short brown hair, going from his mid scalp backwards, giving Jaune the impression he has a receding hairline. Or maybe it was the bumpy protrusions on his forehead interrupting with hair growth.

The next, the other male of the group had a deep, jungle green robe striped in silver veins, as if the clothing were another skin of some sort. He had a tired, weary expression but a round, chubby face, with a pale blonde hair that was shaved down to his head on the sides but had a long Mohawk that was adorned with various small bones and beads.

The next and arguably most notable was an extremely large woman, Jaune could swear she was over seven feet tall. Had long, dark hair and tanned skin, with while had a very small nose and mouth had very large, expressive green eyes. The yellow robes were extremely tight against her form, with pieces of what looked like bark or a wood like material were attached into the shoulders, arms and chest area.

The last and the one carrying the aforementioned Faunus traits, was the smallest. She had a frizzy, chaotic mess of brown hair, horns and rabbit ears. She had extremely dark skin, with several white tattoos that curved and patterned her neck, but was hidden majority from view as she wore baggy, heavy dark blue robes. She was definitely the prettiest but gave Jaune the impression she was the most vocal.

The leader noticed Jaune and Pyrrha and held a hand to his group. Pointing at the pair, "I will have words, Hunters." And strode towards them, the trio left staying where they stopped.

Jaune was surprised to notice that the man was a little shorter then he was, but didn't detract from the intimidation factor. Or staring at the strange, natural armor like shell on his forehead.

"My fellows and I seek the one named Anubis-Priest." His eyes seemed to shimmer from a dull brown to a lustrous gold, "You will take us to him."

[][[[

Anu was sitting on the edge of a small cliff that lead down to rocks, a white beach and the clear waters beyond. This place was almost completely alien, but beautiful nonetheless. There were no predators skulking for careless prey, no violent kick up of sand and distinctly, there was a no buildup of a thick red liquid that gathered on orange shores that weren't dug out for ports. From what his parents had taught him, was due to the blood of the god's weeping from their graves, their bodies thrown into the waters.

'Rubbish undoubtedly.' He thought, throwing a stony shell over the cliff into the ocean. His ears twitched as he heard the digging of feet into sand behind him.

He smiled, "Sorry about that, hope it didn't seem as rude."

There was no response.

Anu grimaced, "Apolo-" he stopped as he turned his head and faced a silver jackal mask, locks of white hair rolling past his shoulders as the rest kd his head was hidden by a black hooded robe, worn and flecked with dirt and blood.

Anu stared, before asking, "[Pray, why you here]?"

The spectral memory sighed,"[Brought warning, that I have]." He waved his hand at the shore. "[You've distracted yourself by making nice with that child]."

"[Refer to her by name, Demon]." Anu scoffed. "[Memories are accessible to you when I rest, and I have slept a great deal]."

Demon turned his head, dead eyes blazing to life with red, glowing irises. "[Do not remind me, Priest]." He spat, "[You are infatuated with that group of humans to a disgusting degree]. [More so this small one]."

Anu blinked at that in shock and blushed. "I-I don't know what you mean." He replied.

"[Pah, a shy or coy aspect is not a part of my nature. Your control has derailed my character]."

Anu stood from the cliff and brushed sand from his own clothing, "[What warning do you bring]?"

Demon returned his gaze to his 'brother', "[Twofold: other Shira-Kai are near]."

Anu's eyes widened, "At this hour?"

"[So it seems they did not train for the time difference. The children of dust from these parts are active mostly at day, not half of both cycles of moon and sun]."

"The other?"

Demon seemed to tense, and a threatening atmosphere descended as he replied in accented Remnatian, "Another will is here with us."

"I have noticed this. Where did it come from?"

"No-Where." He shook his concealed head, "This intruder, or force, it did not arrive. It came from the depths of our being, but my greatest fear in how it has affected you."

Anu gave a look of profound shock, "Me? Does it not affect us both? We're the same person."

He gestured with his hand, moving it the side, a form of shrugging. "It avoids me. Or cannot touch me. Either possibility holds great fear in my heart." He walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "This... entity has effected memory with instinct. It is... potent."

"You can say that again." He massaged his forehead.

"Umm... Th-"

Anu smiled and raised a silencing hand, "['Tis a local saying]."

Demon didn't appear amused.

"Hey Anu!"

The two aspects of the same man turned to the crimson clad maiden being followed by a taller, brighter image laden in white. "Who's that?"

Anu blushed and rubbed the back of his head, smiling uncomfortably. "Uhhh t-this is my friend ummm... Jackal!"

Anu didn't need to see his face, he could feel the loathing, annoyed judgment from his eyes. "A memory out of your depth." He stated coldly as he walked off the cliff and formed into a cloud of dust, flying, returning back to the ether.

"Huh, sooo what was that?" Ruby looked on, a brow much higher than the other.

"Ah, a semblance of sorts." Anu chuckled. "We must depart."

"Where to?" Summer inquired, "My hubby has the car, but should be back any minute now."

Ruby looked back at her mother. Her memory made animate. "Um, can't we stay just a little while longer?"

Anu frowned, "Ruby, if I am to teach you this; I must know you can return to reality, not be tempted to stay."

She blinked, "Teach me?"

"Oh well don't get me wrong! I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing memory with you, but i will give you the means to privacy, the means i had to deprive for this event." He smiled.

Ruby was stun for a moment at the prospect of not only leaving this moment of immeasurable bliss, but the idea she could come back.

She reached up to Anu and wrapped her arms around his neck, but because of the height difference made him bend down a lot.

'Shkinah...' He cursed mentally, uncertain of what to do. He embraced her earlier out of concern for the cold. Really. Anu swore on it. This was affectionate. Something he WASNT comfortable with.

Ruby looked to the side, seeing his black and grey hair. "Thank you." Almost a whisper.

Anu was almost too eager to cease the contact, looking in every direction save Ruby's, the blush he had had intensified, spreading to his forehead and neck. "No thanks required." He smiled.

"Awww hug her back next time! Don't be bashful on my account!" Summer giggled, crossing her arms.

Priest wanted to join Demon in the immaterial between minds at the statement. "Come. Depart with the memory of now, but know it is always here. A landmark."

Ruby hesitated a moment, looking back at her mother, before closing her eyes.

[][[[

Anu gaped, feeling incredibly cold and the lacking sensory improvement of his ears. The feeling of moisture was rolling down his skin, soaking into his clothing and what's worse, as soon as Ruby recovered, she instantly began shaking, covering herself in her arms.

He wasn't sure how long the rain has been falling but he was instantly concerned for Ruby, who was drenched and his flimsy shirt would do the opposite of help.

Ruby blinked, noting the condensation and close to speaking but her eyes rolled back and she fell to her side, inert.

Anu rushed to her, placing a hand on her forehead, noting a high temperature, but unsatisfied at the cause of her sudden shocking fall. He closed his eyes for several seconds before summoning the second stage of the Akuma. While exceedingly painful, making blood trickled from his nose and left ear from the stress, he focused his unearthly sight on Ruby, detecting fluctuations in her Ego-Current, stemming from her eyes.

"[Damn it]." He cursed, 'I'm the cause.' He hadn't a clue for how long they were together in Memories, but it must have been long and stressful for Ruby inexperienced presence.

He felt a soothed concern and more than a fistful of guilt weigh in his lungs from the discovery. She would recover, maybe in a minute or maybe in an hour, but she could have gotten sickly because of him not feeling the rain.

Without another word, he picked her up bridal form and rammed the door open with his back, almost slipping from the rain and his wet, bare feet.

Ruby was still shivering, unconscious.

He wasn't sure how'd he'd explain this to her team.

'Heh, improvisation is a positive trait among guardians.' Relieved somewhat that the thought was his alone, not corrupted by whatever alien and perverse influence had made its way into his useable self.

He knocked on team Ruby's door with a foot, a second later, Weiss answered the door. And she didn't waste any time, "Where in the hell have you two been?!" She yelled, arms to her side.

Anu gave a guilty look, "Ima... not allowed to tell you. She can when she wakes up." Pointing his head to the sleeping Ruby in his arms.

"If there's alcohol involved with this; i WILL report you to Ozpin." Weiss threatened as she stood away from the door and let him pass.

Blake was off her bunk, ready to spring into action. "Did you get lost in town?" She asked as she picked up the prone girl from Anu.

"No no! We just... lost track of time." He laughed internally at the joke. Didn't know why.

"Uh-huh..." Blake looked unconvinced, "Find Yang. And don't complain if she decides to best your face in for making her worry about his sister."

Anu paled as fear struck threw his body.

[[[[]

'God dammit!' She thought, but she might as well as said it out loud in order for the crimson eyes and burning hair to be understandable. She's ran from one end of the academy to the other, looked in places she knew Ruby would be, then in places she most definitely wouldn't and finally made it full circle back to the main hall for the fifth time.

"Yang." A masculine voiced stated.

The enraged Xiao Long turned to the entrance to see Jaune and Pyrrha in their civies, and with the company of four, complete strangers. Who wore stranger clothes.

Yang walked up to Jaune, "Who the hell are these guys?" She pointed, before shaking her head, "Doesn't matter! Have you seen Ruby?"

Jaune didn't respond, hell, didn't even look at her. His eyes focused on nothing and his body was carried lazily.

"Pyrrha? What about you?" The same story, save her mouth was moving slowly, as if to say something but unable to pit air into the words.

"Huntress Yang." The smallest of the group walked past the JNPR duo up to her, "You will escort us as these two lead to Priest-Anu."

Yang at first felt a dizzying sensation, as if she was in a bad buzz or just got off the lamest roller coaster, but was quickly worm off as she replied his gaze with a threatening glare, "What the hell's wrong with my friends?"

The guy blinked in surprise, stepping back and taking his hands out of his pockets. "You can resist my Compulsion?"

Before Yang voiced another question, the room was filled with the loudest, most brick-shitting, "YANG I'M SO SORRY!" You could imagine.

Yang turned to see Anu hop from the hall clear on the other side of the room and fell on his knees in front of her and bowed, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Ruby and I didn't keep track of time! She is back home! She will be fine! I'm sorry!"

The gathered host, even in pair that weren't entirely mentally capable at the moment stared at the apologetic, shaking ball of Priest at Yang's feet.

Yang was off balanced, first by what in the hells the newbies problems are, and now this. The fire from her hair left, but the crimson eyes remained, "Uhhh its uh good. She's back. Good." She tried to voice her rage and worry but fell short, sounding plain instead.

Anu sprung up, hands together, "I promise a great meal! A-and what conversation you desire! Also what other form of gift I can give to convince of my sincerity!"

"Alright!" Yang pepped up slightly. 'Free sunglasses and beer!' Her eyes back to normal.

Anu leaned from his supplication, seeing the foursome plus Jaune and Pyrrha in a strange trance.

His face molded from concerned to welcoming as he walked past Yand to the small leader. He bowed at the waist, "[Welcome to The Academy, Beacon, Prince]."

The small man in purple seemed agitated as he replied, "[I had hoped you had forgotten me]."

Anu stood up, "[How could I forget you? You were an excellent student for a child]." He walked in front of Jaune, taking his hand and shaking, "Thank you for escorting these people. Go to bed, sleep well and be more open mind in the morning." The zombie Jaune nodded dully before beginning his drag up to his dorm. He zipped to Pyrrha, also taking her hand, "I must say you are equally beautiful casual as you are as a professional. Enjoy your evening rest and wake up happy!" Mimicking Jaune, flopping her feet to the stairs.

Yang was staring. Completely out of what the fuck was happening.

'Prince' on the other hand, was visibly not pleased. The coterie to his rear seemed more neutral, but stared at Anu as if expecting something from him.

He walked back to the young Shira-Kai, "A state of suggestion works by all who order them, regardless if you are the caster or not." He playfully instructed before his face contorted into a scowl, "Never do it again. Not without permission."

"Tch. You believe you can command me, cur?" He scoffed.

Anu's scowled resorted to a barely held chuckle, "I have to introduce you to a friend of mine. You'd... 'hit it right off'."

Prince's gaze turned even more snobby, "You've adopted local slang? Going native are you?"

"If they feed me enough chocolate, I'd learn how to sing their national anthems backwards." He smiled.

[][[[[[[[

**As a kinda mention, the accent Anu has with Remnatian is focused on 'ie's and J/Ds. He would pronounce 'jewlery' as 'dewlery', 'Weiss' is closer to 'Ways', and 'mine' would be 'mane'. This accent is due to the mental-knowledge transfer was very crude, having knowledge of the words but without learning the correct way to speak them. It wouldn't be a surprise if it was sinilar if he learnt it naturally, as he does now.**

**These new Shira-Kai won't have the issue, they gained their knowledge from a Speaker, who are perfectly able to commit such abilities. They're effectively diplomats that come with their own ability to translate. **

**There you have it my friends! :D**

**Hope it was a good one! Been grinding done a f**king mountain of writers block .**

**See ya next time! :)**


	26. Runny Noses

Ruby rolled around in her bed, kicking her sheets off to alleviate the heat that gathered. She was sweating a tub's worth and there wasn't a spot on the bed that was cold.

She finally couldn't take it, "Yang..." She weakly voiced, "Yaaannngg... can you check the AC? I'm dying over here." No response. She opened her eyes. "Yang." She was the closest to the panel, she and Weiss.

She rubbed her eyes, staring in the dark towards the pair of bunks opposite of her and saw both empty. It was the dead of night, they should be there. "Blake?" She asked, worried.

She couldn't get herself to move out of bed, she was so tired. Ruby sighed, feeling aches threw her body, lying on her back again, wiping her sweaty forehead with a hand.

*Knock, knock*

Ruby's eyes widened, "Who is-" the door opened, a dim orange light coming from the cracked door. She was close to screaming out and running for Crescent Rose before she saw Anu side stepping his way into the room with a lantern in his hand. She sighed in relief, "Do you know where the others are? Did I miss something?"

Anu looked confusedly at Ruby, as if he didn't understand her words. He then shook his head in a joking manner and placed the lantern on a dresser.

"Uhhh Anu how'd you get in here? Why um..." She trailed off as her gaze crawled down from his bare chest to his nearly as naked waist and legs. 'He wears a loincloth for pajamas?!' She stared.

Anu tilted his head, smiling once more and waving a hand at her.

"Anu! Talk to me!" Ruby demanded.

He was taken off guard by the order, but didn't heed it. Looking more concerned afterwards and walking over to where Ruby laid.

He knelt by the head of her bed and grinned reassuringly at her.

Ruby was really getting frustrated, "D-damn it Anu! Give me an answer!"

His smiled broadened, showing teeth as he nodded, still silent. He slowly reached a hand out, placing the palm against her forehead. His skin was refreshingly cold against her own burning epidermis. He rubbed her skin, stroking her temples with a digit and caressing her chin with the back of his hand. Ruby was so mottled by the blissful freeze of his touch and the comfort it brought, that when she opened her eyes, not remembering she closed them, she saw Anu's face so close to hers they almost touched noses.

"Uhhhuh..." Ruby drawled.

His hand finally stopped at her cheek, having a small grin as he leant in slowly.

'This is not happening, this is MOT happening! I'm going to have my first kiss with Anu! It-it-it's not the right place! He can't expect me- NOT THE RIGHT PLACE?! I don't want th-!' Her thoughts were silenced as their lips made gentle contact.

Ruby's mind went blank, no coherent thought would stick. She breathed out slowly, almost panting. 'It's ever hotter now.' She managed to complain as his mouth departed from hers.

He looked a lot like that one time at the Emerald Forrest, when he saved her from that feather-spear. Very content, almost smiling, but not. He leant back down, but seemed to have missed her mouth, digging his face into her neck and shoulder.

In advanced of what was going to say, he ran his tongue slowly up from the base of her neck to the lobe of her ear, she had to keep a hand on her mouth to prevent her from moaning from the odd, ticklish, burning tingle.

Anu noticed this and the smile returned, only it had an influence of smugness. He bit onto her lobe, making her give a short shriek from the odd sensation, before running his tongue over the shell of her ear.

She mewed lowly.

Anu quickly turned from her neck and kissed Ruby deeply. She was new to the intensity, not expecting or prepared for it. While at first she could think a little bit here and there, her mind and body fully gave in, kissing him back even more ferociously.

She felt the hand that was on her cheek glide down her neck, chest and rested on her stomach, feeling his fingers curl on the end of her shirt. She mumbled, "Hmm Anu..." But it sounded more out of pleasure then concern for letting him showing her body.

He pulled the garment up, two mounds of silky white with two bright red nipples were revealed. "Uhmm..." She continued to mumble, folding her arms meekly over her chest.

Anu looked down at her breasts, slowly prying an arm away then continued to kiss her, massaging one experimentally with a hand.

She moaned lightly, biting her bottom lip to stop it from growing louder when he removed his mouth from hers and massaged her bosom with greater surety.

She felt the cord that held her pajama pants up being pulled loose.

She stared down wide eyed as he pulled her pants down to her ankles, showing her panties.

She looked back up, Anu on top of her, encumbered by the bunk overhead. She placed a hand on his chest, "A-Anu. Please wait, w-w-we can't d-do it." She could feel a wet build up on her undergarments, and she didn't want to risk looking at Anu's own... private to area if he was equally aroused. Anu tilted his head again, as silent as he had entered. He smiled, 'speaking' several words but no sound was made.

He looked back and pulled a pant leg away from an ankle and placed himself between her legs, causing friction against her crotch.

Ruby gave a mix between a moan and a sound that could be translated as 'I'm so shocked and stuff that I might throw up'. Didn't stop him.

He leant his forehead onto hers for several seconds, then she heard clothing being undone and saw him drop the loin cloth off the side of the bed.

'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god...' She mentally repeated. "Anu, I'm not on birth control until I'm eighteen next month. I-I don't think you know what that means so I don't think you're wearing a condom..." She mumbled quickly but was silenced as she felt his fingers against her most intimate spot. She let out of full moan from it and held her breath as he parted the cloth, opening it to him.

He leant back, conjoining a hand with hers. She wasn't sure which was the scariest, that it was happening or that she was letting it... wanting it to happen.

Anu leant forward.

[-][

Ruby's eyes snapped open from the light of the morning slipping through the curtains.

She released her bed sheets, placing her fore arm on top of her eyes, 'Holy crap, that was crazy intense.'

"WHAT YOU DOIN'?!" Yang popped her head into her bunk.

Ruby ALMOST peed herself, but settled on hitting her head on the top bunk.

Yang busted out laughing, "Awhaha I'm sorry Ruby!" The laugh was quickly abandoned, she gasped, "Oh god, did you hurt your nose on that!?"

Ruby covered her bleeding nose. "Alll be phine." She she reassured lowly, not wanting to think she had this nosebleed waking up. "Wi oar yu so 'appy? Ur knot ah moarning pursin."

She chuckled happily, "Just in a good mood. How are you feeling?"

Ruby removed her hand from her nose, the dried blood making a red mark on hwe nose. "Okay. Groggy."

Yang sat down on the edge of her bed, "What were you and Anu doin'? You returned at eleven last night asleep. He had to carry you back."

Ruby stared, 'I fell asleep? I barely remember what had happened.' She thought back, one memory lead to another, slowing recalling what had occurred.

Yang gave a tone of a sort of 'protective/threatening' form, "He didn't push you to do anything did he?"

Ruby blinked, "No!" Waving both of her hands, "He just did what i asked him."

That didn't seem to ease Yang's thoughts on the matted, "What exactly did you ask him?"

Ruby peaked around, satisfied that Weiss and Blake were in the bathroom getting ready. "I told him to do this weird memory thing." She clasped both her hands in her lap, looking away from Yang, "It was... almost real." She coughed, "I saw my mom, talked with her, h-had her cookies again."

Yang's eye didn't show any shock, but the passive look she kept was a facade hiding the shocking idea of seeing Summer again. Ruby needs a sister that can keep her cool. "Okay. Make sure you do it back here, yeah? You had me worried sick."

Ruby wasn't sure on her line of thinking, but when Yang said that, she thought back to her dream and felt a fresh trickle of blood escape her nostril. "Ehm!" She exclaimed, pinching her nose.

"Oh that reminds me!" Yang sang, "I'll be in town this evening after classes, want me to get anything while I'm out?"

"Eh are the others going to?" She wasn't sure if it was because she was sick, but she was having a hell of time trying to think.

"Na..." She leant in, the picture definition of a 'shit-eating-grin', "Gotta a date with Anu."

Ruby stared at her, utterly shocked. "What?!"

"Yup!" She smiled, "Gunna sucker him in for some free food and booze." She shrugged, "Need help him unwind a bit, get him some clothes. God knows we can't have him wearing just his school slacks and that..." Her gaze grew distant and a lecherous smirk spread over her face, "Very... compact white button shirt."

Ruby felt her chest tighten painfully. "G-good." She twiddled her thumbs, "I'd really appreciate it if you got some Moon-quil while you're out."

Yang stood up, "No prob sis!" Weiss and Blake had left some seconds ago, "See ya later! Get better!" She waved, picking up her book bag and running out the door.

Ruby sat up at her bed for an unnecessary length of time, before sighing and slamming her head back on the pillow.

[][[[

Two hours prior...

Anu yawned, stretching his arms over his head. Sleeping in the rain was interesting, but it didn't offer way in the aspect of rest. He was still soaked from it, should have taken a towel in hindsight, but the day was exhausting.

He was still expecting the majority of people to still be asleep, but was hoping the certain person that have the habit of waking early were resting themselves.

He turned into the hall to see a person waiting. Despite the usual way she carried herself, she did not appear pleased.

Anu stopped, frowning "Shora." Complete in her battle attire.

The blonde looked him up and down, "What happened after you left? Did you stay outside to sleep?"

Anu nodded, "I assume you have questions?"

Shora didn't respond for several seconds, but did so by pulling out that porcupine version of a Scroll and pointing it at herself. The device beeped every so often, "I made this more attuned to Dusty-Vibrations. It can even detect it in other 'Children of Dust'." Using the term awkwardly. She twisted it around.

Anu wasn't sure if it was just a long beep or a series of beeps so fast that he couldn't tell them apart. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "So..." He coughed into a fist, "Been waiting here long?"

Shora deployed Trickster's Truth, pointing the bolt at Anu. "You'll be coming with me."

Anu lost his composure and groaned loudly, "Can this one not have a moment of respite?" Impatiently, "Where to? Ozpin? He already knows what I am."

"Professor Port." Shora wasn't sure what he said was a lie or not. "Grimm should go to the official Grimm expert first."

Anu knew that his anger getting the better of him wasn't going to help his case, but he couldn't relent. "Grimm?! You narrow minded human!" He pointed, "Do you think that's all there is?! 'Us and them'?! This world is so much more complicated and confusing then that!" He only was able to restrain his voice as he demanded, "If you truly believe that, you should kill me now!"

"Why are you here?" Shora questioned immediately, ignoring the ultimatum.

Now it was his turn to stop and think. He breathed out, some of the anger being let loose with it. "To exist." He shook his head, "I don't expect you to understand this, but I can't try to be myself anywhere but here."

Shora's eyes narrowed, "How did you come to be?"

Anu tilited his head at the question, before he smiled and laughed. "A great deal of sex, no doubt." He waved a hand at her, "My people were created by mixing the Essences of Blood and Dust many thousands of years ago. While we technically have no soul, we have an Ego presence that sometimes rivalled the gods themselves. We even have a Mondai-Tsukurmasu."

Shora tightened her bow, "What is that?"

Anu placed a hand on his chin, "Hm. Not sure what the translation would be... it's the organ that Grimm have that gives them the ability to shape their own bodies to their will and why they can regenerate so fast." He placed a hand in the center of his chest, "It replaces the heart, and no longer serves as just the means blood is pumped through the body. If it were to be destroyed, it'd be worse than a disheartening. It'd be more like severing the spine, burning out the nervous system and destroying every major organ all at once. The Grimm still alive as it fades to nothing."

Shora stated, "That's why you heal so fast."

He nodded, "Indeed. For what it's worth, I apologize for last night. There isn't much excuse for letting that particular corner of my being out on my friends."

Shora blinked, but kept a stern face. "Are we friends?"

Anu smiled, "I'd like to think so. It'd be odd of I let someone I don't care for kill or turn me in without a fight otherwise."

Shora was still, bow straining against dingers. She slowly eased on it, the plasma tipped arrow head cooling until she returned it to its passive state. She turned on a heel back to her room.

"W-wait, Shora I was exp-"

"I'll give you your school uniform and a towel." She stopped, looking back at him. "Don't go into the room, not while the others are still there."

Anu grimaced, "Why not?"

Shora looked ahead, "Someone has to protect them. For the moment at least." And continued walking back to the dorm.

[][[

Sooo, bit of pseudo-smutt in the first part. Don't worry, won't happen that often haha.

Sorta a shorty. Haven't had much time. College prep.

See ya guys! Give me your opinions!


	27. How Badasses Message

'The founders of the White Fang were by far the most practical in terms of diplomacy. Unfortunately, they were a bit too optimistic about their followers.'

\- Erin Santiago, investigation of the militarization of the White Fang.

[][[

"We should at least start to do something." The woman in red protested, her garments almost matching her eyes, hidden in an elaborate, beak like mask.

Her company and the mastermind of this elaborate plan that suited her goals, did not respond. Hell, they went well above what she wanted. In a good way.

What Raven had trouble with is her partners near stone like idleness for the past week. "This plan of yours looks pretty bleak in its survival if the man who made it doesn't do shit."

No response from the sitting mass of clothing. The man wore robes and a hood so heavy and long, she was dumbfounded on how even he could see past the wall of grey fabric.

"Bah, this sloth is wasted on the humans. We shoul-"

"It..." He spoke, a deep voice, quiet but seemingly echoed in the air from its force, sounding like it came from massive boulders grinding each other down then vocal cords. He stood up from the edge of the building top they paused on for the night. "It has begun." He turned towards her, seeing only one glowing red eye locking onto her dim ones.

Raven smiled, taking off her helm, scratching at an itch she's had for a long time. "'Bout time." She closed her eyes briefly, before opening them, the organs now crimson, and pigmentation around her eyes changed to a light orange from the pale tint they originally had. The coloration spread from the tips of her eyes and curved up past her brow. "My Youma needs practice."

"Nay." He replied, shaking his head. He pointed at her with a long, thin, taloned digit with black nails and paler skin then her. "You shall remain hidden." He walked past her, picking up the massive sword he planted into the building. It looked more like a massive club of bone that had an edge shaved down, with a metal coat of paint over it. Raven only allowed its apparent primitive appearance hinder her once, when the two first met and saw it cleanly slice threw a Mercury Battle tank.

His hand was fully visible as he wrapped it around the hilt, while the skin was pale, a thick silver fur contrasted even that on his fore hand and arm. He lifted the cleaver almost as large as he was with more ease then drawing breath, looking upon Raven with his single orb. "I shall find Torchwick. Gain trust with one named Cinder." He placed the blade on his shoulder, "You will make sure a... old friend of mine knows a former comrade of his is in this city and should come to exchange greetings." He nodded slowly to her, "The Trinity shall return, do mot doubt this."

[][[[[

Torchwick nodded a couple of times at the suit case of Lien Bills. Looking back at the bison-man needing a helping hand. "Alright. No engaging, right? You just need a guy with a scope? Taking pictures?"

Cronin nodded, "My boss needs info on a certain guy right now, but ya know, we can't have 'un of yur dumbass grunts. Need some-'un that can do a job right."

Torchwick, flicked his cigar, the ash landing on the wet back alley. "I got some ONE in mind." Yelling behind him and taking the suit case. "Drake!"

A black figure dropped out from the nearby fire escape, landing on the ground, rifle still pointing at the Faunus.

"C'mon, he paid the toll troll. Be friendly." Torchwick chuckled at the newcomer.

Kronin was only able to distinguish a silver-skull half-mask from the black clothing and weapon as he pointed the sniped rifle down. "Drake Capri. What do you need me for?"

Kronin raised an eyebrow, "You smell human." Turning his head to Torchwick, "I thought you were with White Fang."

Drake placed his rifle's butt against the floor, "I AM White Fang, ya prick."

Kronin rolled his eyes, looking back at Torchwick, "Something tells me he gets on the nerves. Would he be missed if had a bit of an accident?"

Torchwicks smile receded altogether, "Let's just say id use the money you just gave me plus a fee grand of my own to make sure I saw ya hanging off Elk road by your guts."

"Eesh, just asking a question."

[][[[

"Prince, I'm surprised you didn't convene with the master of the academy for better quarters."

Prince scoffed, placing his robe on the drying rack. "Speaking with that traitor put me in a bad humor. It'd be unwise to negotiate with another Lord in such a mood, even a human one." He stretched an arm up, freed from his clothing.

"We're living under a bridge. I think he'd misunderstand our mood due to the spot where we sleep." Javelin rolled his eyes, out of sight of Prince of course.

Sylvan spied at her leader threw the crude curtain that separated the genders general living space.

While she knew Assassin, Prince and Javelin were all city people from the center of Dwarka and had a great deal more cultural shite when it comes to naked people, that didn't stop her from peeking though.

"Hey, can you help me out here?" Assassin called to her comrade on this side of the barrier. She almost laughed when she saw the short woman tried jumping up at the clothes line to hang up her robe.

She smiled and picked it up with one hand and planted it over the cord to dry.

"Thanks!" Assassin smiled threw uneven, sharp teeth.

"Assemble!" Prince declared. The trio that hadn't any clothing quickly wrapped themselves in towels and lifted the curtain.

Sylvan's face instantly warmed, "Where... did you obtain blue jeans?"

The small man gave her a look of disapproval, before looking to the rest with his passive, commanding scowl. "I shall make Challenge to the man who destroyed our homes." He lifted his nose at Assassin and Javelin, "You; a Heartseeker. You; your energies."

Prince walked to the top of the bridge, where he had lain his collection of spirit-spears. All woven and straining against each other what could be seen as over a dozen or so, being tied against a central sword.

He lifted a hand towards the bundle and a silver spear threw itself out of the bundle and into his palm. Sylvan called these special spears 'tooth picks', but never out loud in ear shot. They were much smaller than the spears she and her two other cohorts were equipped, being a sliver of metal with little enforcement or embroilment. Flimsy, but he could control him with his Jiga Koiru, the 'network' organ Shira-Kai manifest and grow from continued use of Ego. He had his own Jiga Koiru forged inside the very spears he used, able to control them at will.

He held the arm at his shoulder, "Assassin, a blade." The woman pouted at him as she gave one of her few heartseekers. The chained blades were extremely difficult to make, mostly due to the fact one had to train a Toba'Keth, a war beast, and at the end of its life had it converted to Dust, using it to forge a Heartseeker. The iron would connect to the wielder, assisting in finding their mark, namely the heart.

He placed the nail-like blade on the end of the tooth pick, "Javelin." He demanded.

The chubby Faunus nodded, placed a hand where the spear and nail met the chain wrapped around it before he grunting. A burning orange fire erupted around his digits, slowly fusing the metals together. He then proceeded to hover his hand over its length, a yellow, energetic aura enwrapped the newly reforged weapon.

Prince walked out of the bridge, holding the weapon back as he looked towards Beacon. He began walked forward, before yelling and throwing the spear high into the clouds.

[][[[

Anu's pencil broke against his notebook, blinking several times. He sighed, standing up.

"Mr. Priest, do you have an issue with my regaling tale?" Mr. Portman demanded.

Anu didn't respond, eyeing the vacant spot where a member of team JNPR sits and then at the fully gathered team CRDL. Anu closed his eyes and lazily waved a hand, "I'm getting Jaune." Hopping off his desk and landing in front of the door.

There were several murmurs among the class, mostly the ignored, barely whispered orders of Rhaine whom said, "The hell man?! Sit down!" Of whom, Raf was still napping and Shora overserved him carefully as he left.

Anu sighed as he unbuttoned his school jacket and shirt, feeling relieved from the restricting clothing. He unbuckled his bandolier, holding Shu with a hand and opened a door that led to an outdoor patio, there at the edge, sat Jaune, the warmth of the sun, almost entirely evaporating the rain from the previous night.

The blonde jumped up when he heard the door close, slipping slightly as he stood. "Anu? What are you doing here?"

The man looked lost in thought as he walked over to where Jaune stood, peering into the sky, and hand over his eyes to block the sunlight. "This... should be best." Before looking at Jaune with a smile. "Working on your complexion?"

He blinked, "Huh?"

Anu nodded, looking over the sky. "I once had to spend entire days baking in sunlight to get my current skin tone, I was a sickly pale for a long while. It worried people."

Jaune was staring before he scoffed lightly. "Sounds a lot to go out of the way for."

Anu shrugged, "We do much to alleviate the discomfort of our friends."

Jaune instantly knew where this was going, give a sad sigh. "Look, whatever you're going to say -"

"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to ask for help. That's something you need to do voluntarily." He smiled folding his arms over his chest. "That's life. You keep going and going until you come across something you can't deal with normally, where help is needed."

Jaune grimaced, "This... this is something I have to deal with myself."

"Maybe." He smiled proudly at the blonde, before the expression dropped into a scowl as he looked up into the cloud cover to the right of the balcony. He leant Shu against a nearby wall, "Speaking of; I have something to do myself."

Jaune looked curiously at him, before he looked up at the clouds. The fluffy white formations stirred oddly for several seconds until it split open like a wound in the sky. At the center of it was a burning orange object that sped with unreal speeds towards him and Anu.

He managed to glimpse at the spear as he sped inside the academy before it claimed Anu and flew off the platform. Jaune stared with wide disbelieving eyes running back to the edge.

Anu barely held the heartseeker with one hand as it desperately sought its mark on his chest as he used his opposite hand to claw against the stoney face of the academy walls for leverage. He grunted as he lost the grip on the surface and the spear sent both of them speeding towards the ground. He kicked his legs out as it neared, feeling a knee buckle as the surface met his feet with resounding force, a small crater being created.

The spear didn't stop as it forced itself forward, the fiery elements embracing the spear burning away his school uniform from the waist up, and his hand charring from directly contacting the metal. His heels digging two long lines in the soil. 'The cliff won't be far.' He thought, frustrated.

He snarled then roared, the rage that had been so all encompassing coming to use as he felt his pain wither away and fury increase his strength. He pushed the tip fully out of its path, turning it slowly away from him.

He quickly lost momentum, holding the spear as it worked against its own speed.

Anu's Akuma manifested as he started running forward, his power tracing the path the spear originated from. Red lightning canceling the fiery energy and overlapping the assassin-lance, he gave a final step forward before he chucked the spear back into the sky, the cracking of thunder echoing through the area.

[][[[

Javelin spat his out his tea in sudden, unexplainable shock.

Prince sat up from his sleeping mat. "Mobilize. This feels od-"

His voice was cowed by the instantons destruction of the bridge they lived under.

Sylvan pushed away rubble from her and Assassin. "Prince! What's happening?!"

She looked up, the sun illuminating a bewildered Javelin running down river from the carnage and Prince against the throat of the bridge.

The crackling weapon imbedded under his left arm, cutting a thin line across his upper ribs. Prince looked both worried and intensely intrigued as he closed his eyes. "Seems that time has not diminished you, Demon."

[][[[[

The now shirtless Anu chuckled awkwardly at Goodwitch, scratching his head. "It is fairly difficult to explain. I do not know who sent the attack but dealt with it as best I could."

The blonde woman looked immensely impatient, tapping her foot, arms crossed. "I do not believe you."

"I do not expect you to." He nodded, pointing a thumb at Jaune. "I do have a witness though."

"You could have him think what he saw was real. I know what you can do."

Whether it was due to the compounding issues of late or his use of that odd, disrupting power that lay within him, he was close to back talking and agitating a full blown hunter. As Anu was now, he would have intense difficulty dealing with one like her. "Indeed I could have." He crossed his own arms, venom filling his voice, "I don't use my powers on my friends. Only my enemies."

The instructor's eyes narrowed, "Was that a threat, Anu?"

He shook his head, "No. A simple fact."

She would definitely have pressed further if they weren't interrupted by a by a loud, "THE HELL DID YOU DO PRIEST?!"

Strangely, it was Raf instead of Rhaine. He blinked, eyes wide and expression fairly confused. "I did nothing."

Raf face palmed before he pointed at the long broken line of stone on the side of the academy. Anu was sure he meant the grounds as well.

To that he scratched his head sheepishly per usual and shrugged, "Not really my choice."

Meanwhile, Jaune was of far worse state then the victim, stuttering to a point where any language he was using was pointless noise. Anu signed at the human's inability to cope. While Jaune was most certainly noble and true, he was the farthest thing from resolute or stalwart. Things a warrior needed. If he was completely honest, he managed to blur out the idiotic lecture that both Rhaine and Raf had brought down on him, anything they said wasn't exactly new, at least compared to that Hunter Goodwitch.

After the shock of the event had dissipated, Anu managed to move back towards Shu, finding her peaceful and undisturbed in the carnage. Save that a certain Xiao Long had beat him to the sword and picked it up.

Yang whistled, "Heavier than it looks."

Anu bit his tongue from the initial panic from having a human pick it up, the feeling dissipating as the blade made no reaction to the foreign presence that held her. Anu sighed happily, "She takes some getting used to." Walking up to the woman.

The blonde gave one of those 'up down, then smirking deviously' looms she gave him almost religiously. "Hmm so your swords a 'she'?"

"Not a sword in the truest sense." He leant his head to the side in thought, trying to find the right words. "Shu is a being, she was made in the fires and Dust of another's soul." He grimaced, "Somewhat of an enigma to translate, if she is a weapon, so are we, if we are alive, she is no different?"

Yang barely understood what he tried to describe, "I guess more questions for later?" She scratched her head chuckling.

Anu nodded and smiled, "I'll await them with relish."

Yang smirked once more, before firmly grasping Shu's hilt and being met with adamant resistance.

Anu chuckled, "She is very choosey of who can fully wield-"

Yang ignored him and tugged once more, her violet irises turning into a tint of red.

Anu's face paled and his smile faded when he heard the blade in the sheath rattle with a metallic *ching*.

At first Shu was barely out of her cradle, but Yang growled lowly, the sound almost intimidating the blade to be more accommodating. Until finally...

Yang pulled Shu out fully in a forceful swipe that kicked dust up into the air.

Anu stared, mouth agape and eyes shrunk in unbridled surprise.

Yang's red eyes analyzed the sword. She was honestly expecting a blade of unbridled beauty, steel so polished and refined that you could see the smallest blemish on the skin or see as far as the eyes could carry from its own reflection.

Shu's outer edge was rusted, the red material encrusting the entire front side of the blade. The center and back of it were a pale yellow color, looking more like brass then steel.

"Whoa, Shu definitely needs a bath." Yang chuckled, give it a couple practice swings and placing her back in the sheathe. She pointed the hilt to Anu, the later hesitantly, almost fearful reaching out for it. 'That's not possible.' He repeated mentally.

The moment a fingertip made contact, he felt extraordinary fatigue, his vision faded and blackened and he found himself kneeling.

When he gathered enough strength to look up, instead of seeing the fair form of Yang, it was another being entirely. A woman thought buried.

Juliana was smiling down at Anu, a sort of arrogant or higher than thou smirk one would give to a defeated enemy or a pet that was broken and now bound to its master. "You are my maker, my vassal, my keeper..." She then firmly grasped his chin and smiled broadly, "But I found a greater guardian, one who is not afraid of the element that consists the majority of their being."

Anu gasped for a breath, "You... you can't..." He shook his head, "Human... Yang is human. Harm will come to her..."

The smirk spread, "Perhaps."

"I... won't allow it." Anu stared back at the manifestation of both Shu and Juliana.

"Why not?" She swiped his face away, "Just because you were my lover? The one who placed me into this form? Times change. I died but my soul didn't leave, it never had the opportunity to." She crossed her arms, "This... Yang can help me find the paradox, the one who has my soul at the same time it exists somewhere else. The one who can wield me." She bent down, face to face with Anu, "And she would not hesitate to use me out of fear."

Anu shook his head, finding a sliver of strength. "She would. In time." He shakenly stood up, "If she is brighter then I, she would, before someone she cared for died."

Shu scoffed, "I would see that-"

Anu placed his hands on her shoulders, the faces an inch apart. "You would fail." He sighed, "Do not give the chance for what you did to me to happen to her."

Shu seemed to pause but snorted, turning on a heel away from him.

"Go on, take it."

Anu blinked and he saw Yang once more, holding Shu to him. What interaction of Ego had occurred, had occurred in milliseconds. Pushing this for later and not wanting to worry Yang he smiled. "Does she meet your approval, my lady?" Taking the hilt in hand.

Yang blushed a bit at that, despite how corny it sounded. "Oh, not really into swords or weapons I have to always hold." She chuckled, "I prefer fists."

"So I've noticed." Anu took a moment of sickening realization to sink in as he readjusted his bandolier on his bare skim. His weapon aims to replace him, before reequipping that happy smile he mastered. "How do your weapons work?"

Yang smiled happily, clicking her bracelets before covering her hands and forearms in yellow metal, red shot gun shell ammo visible. "Pretty straight forward. Punch something really hard, activates the trigger. If I want to attack at longer ranges..." She held her fingers out, revealing that the area where her fist would often hit has a pressure sensor of some sort. "I punch forward and if it can't read any enemies close enough that the explosion would cause damage to me, boom! Explosive Dust shots." She retracted the gauntlets. "By the way, I'm surprised you don't have any guns. Whys that?"

Anu grimaced at that, "I don't like firearms. It's a rule of mine not to use them."

Yang shrugged, "It's... a good rule I guess. Sounds like a weird 'good guy' thing from a comic book though, where ya limit yourself to something not as loud or something."

Anu sighed, "Good men don't need such laws." He waved a hand, "What's next class wise?" Smiling.

"Um I got some basic strategy with what's-his-face. You?" Yang was opened the door for the hallway leading out.

Anu walked through, "Infirmary." He lifted his charred hand, "They made it an order."

Yang's' pupils shrunk. "Uhh does that hurt?"

Anu scratched his chin, "Not really." He shrugged, "I'm sure the apothecary will just put some balm om it and it'll return to normal." He then turned his head to her, "Before I forget to ask; what's a comic book?"

[][[[[

"Were moving out. Now." Prince declared, his bundle of spears carried on a shoulder with a length of rope tied around it.

"I'm not sure you noticed; but he nearly killed us you dung-sucker!" Assassin yelled, pointing a finger at the scowling man. "We shouldn't have left the Colony to kill the guy who destroyed OUR ENTIRE HOMELAND! MONSTERS, PEOPLE AND ALL!"

Prince paused for a moment, dropping his bundle to the ground before lifting a hand, two of the spears sprung out and hovered over each of his shoulders. "You knew the risks when you agreed to this mission." The twin slivers of metal pointed at Assassin. "You shall follow through on your oath."

Assassin repositioned her feet, ready for a quick run away, Javelin meekly backed away from his leaders targets and Sylvan asked, outraged, "You'd kill a Shira-Kai? You're no better than our quarry." She pointed a large digit in his direction.

Prince did manage to glance at his condemner before it returned to Assassin, sprung like a coil, ready for action. Prince quickly fling his arm towards himself and the spears returned to their constrained home. He wordlessly picked up his burden once more, breaking the silence after several steps. "Go with me or go home." He stated over his shoulder, not specifically to Assassin.

"Can't go home." Sylvan said, lowering her guard.

"Not when the dead are as air." Javelin continued their squad's mantra.

"Not until the defeated are avenged will there ashes settle." Assassin sighed, finishing it.

Prince, faced away, gave a private smile out of pride of his colleges.

[{[[[[[

"HE WHAT?!" Ruby slammed her palms down on the lunch table. She was still in her pajamas but with a school jacket and cloak over it for some warmth, a clear signal she wasn't fit for the daily routine but was having her mid-day meal with Blake, Nora and Ren.

Blake placed her spoon in the soup bowl, "He's alright, don't worry. If he wasn't... well... you know."

"I-I-I mean it's just... really weird. All this action happens today and to Anu? Are they sure it wasn't meant for someone else? The attack?"

Ren piped in, "Anu says it was for him and he wasn't in a panic or anything. He acted more like he got something unpleasant in the mail."

Nora sat, potato pancake hanging out of mouth. "Why would anyone want to make him a kebab?"

Ruby said without thinking, "Well, he said he helped the police catch some robbers..."

Blake rose an eyebrow, "Why did he do that? Who were the robbers?"

"Didn't say, in either case."

Blake rolled her eyes, "If he keeps getting into trouble like this unsupervised, you'll need to put a leash on him or something."

Ruby wasn't sure if it was the fever interfering with her thoughts like it did earlier, but she was focusing on a broadly smiling Anu in a collar walking besides her, holding his lead.

"Ruby I think you might need to go back to bed." Ren hesitantly said, looking worried.

Ruby blinked out of her thoughts, feeling a warm line beneath her nose. Wiping a finger threw it and seeing more blood come out of her nose. "Oh it's not from me being sick it's from ah... um..." 'Thinking particular pervy thoughts?' She didn't have a really a way to be truthful. "Okay maybe it is." And proceeded to jump her tray of mostly uneaten food into the trash. "Say hi to Anu for me?"

Blake grimaced, "I will if I find him." She shrugged, "He's avoiding his usual routines and has a creature of habit if I ever saw one. He even cancelled his Remnatian tutoring today."

Ruby was close to proposing that it was due to him and Yang... well, she didn't want to really say it. Or think about it.

[][[[

Producers...

The sounds of the herded prey were unbearably loud, fueling my fury further, almost overcoming my appetite.

I rushed forward into the tall-cavern, a mix of the bloodlines screamed laments and curses, seeking another exit. Smiling... wouldn't be an accurate description. It wasn't due to the torture, pain or fear from the Producers, but from knowing the deep, bottomless hunger will soon be satiated.

I charged forth into the clustered herd. Claws and teeth sinking into soft flesh, the sensation almost pleasurable. While the ingestion of flesh was fairly pointless, it felt more filling in a sense with the blood he gorged upon. When an easy blood source was done, the next would soon follow, and the next, and the next after that. When the last Producer was dead I lapped the blood upon the floor, my gluttony pushing my pride aside.

My silver coat was dyed red as I departed from the place, breathing the naked air, sweet the scent of dust-infused blood. There was a tint of what one could call humor as I stared into the darkened sky. The astral body loomed over head, like a plate of crimson, the vision of banquets to come.

The Change will come soon, my brothers and sisters are inferior.

The prospect burned in my chest, blurring between pleasurable and painful and was so great the only recourse was to howl. Howl at the great crimson moon, just now being overlapped by its smaller, white sibling.

[][

Anu awoke with a yell half way up his throat, sitting up from the cot he lay upon.

"Young man, you scared the hell out of me!" The apothecary cried out as she jumped away from the man, dropping her instruments on the floor. "I gave you medication to deal with the pain, enough to put a horse down for a few hours."

Anu did feel groggy but the mounting sense of terror would keep him from slumber for weeks at this point. He wearily smiled, "I-I apologize. Bad dreams."

She scoffed, throwing some of her fallen clothes into a nearby trash-hamper. "I'll get more medication-"

"Wait!" Anu held his uninjured hand, "What severity is this injury? How deep?"

She impatiently stood by, "Third degree burns. Bad. Nerve endings will need to be regrown. I'm surprised you haven't gone into shock coming here."

Anu grimaced, "I understand."

She pointed a finger at him, "As soon as I'm sure you can make the trip, you're going to hospital for proper treatment."

Anu sighed, "Can I propose a counter argument? One hay you won't be able to say no to?"

She looked questioningly at him, "Suuure?"

Anu activated his Akuma.

[][[[

"When... what...? What was I doing?" Beatrice scratched her head in thought. "Eh, I need to get some lunch." As she was passing by the small cells she glimpsed out of the corner of her eye intense splashes of red. It forced her to stop, and open the creaked open door. The toxin-bin lid had marks of bright red on the sides. She quickly took a rubber glove and peered into the trash can. She gagged from the sigh of burnt flesh that had been cut off had been dumped into the bag, the smell not even describable.

"Oh god, screw eating altogether..." She kept a hand over her mouth.

[][[[

Anu wiped his knife on his spare handkerchief, throwing the later away at the nearest trash can as he progressed back to class but paused as he approached the door, observing his hand. The nerves, muscles, skin and what lies in between all three were still regenerating. He stared as the repair took place and suddenly feeling a sense of disgust.

He closed his eyes, recalling Shora and his exchange from the morning. He quickly turned around and headed for his room.

He held the Howl Puzzle in hand, kneeling down. He poured his Ego out of every corner and crevice of his being into the device and called for maybe the last one in this world that can somehow null this growing cataclysm.

When he sent the message into the Undeniable, he managed to have a passing look at himself. The Ego Encompassing his body was blindingly dim, as if something is... muddying his essence but making it somehow stronger...

And it terrified him.

[][[[[

"Let's make the pig that was with him squeal, eh? Whole lot quicker, we can at least learn a name." Drake shrugged, keeping his eye down the sights as he and his new employer surveyed nearby terrain around the cop station that his contact said the one Faunus girl works at.

Cronin snorted, "The cop won't be hurt. If we need her, we'll just ask her."

"So... what? We wait for him to come to us?"

Kronin eyed him before returning his gaze downwards. "If he is who I think he is; he'll be all-widely known to us sooner or later."

Drake scoffed, "Who is this guy by the way? You only gave me his description."

Kronin breathed out, "The Demon of Atlas."

Drake started laugh so hard he almost fell off his perch, "Oh god, really? I mean, legends are legends, but dead people are twice as intangible."

"He ain't dead. I saw him." Kronin growled, "The guy..." He smiled, still giving a primal hum between fear and excitement. "...will be an amazing fight."

Drake was only now coming off his after chuckles when he eyed him curiously, "Thought you said you needed only recon."

He smirked over to him, "Oh for now. Later... Whole 'nother story." He almost shuddered at the idea of fighting such an opponent. "Anyways! Going down for grub. Whatcha want? You can have anything except salad wraps with the curry in them. Sick of that crap."

[][[[

"Come on out Anu, I know you're in there." To the universes greater surprise and boundless humor, it was Weiss that interrupted his meditations.

He kept silent, hoping that she would depart. He gripped the Puzzle with such a force his hands shook, sweat had gathered on his body as he tried to realign his focus.

"Anu Priest!" She knocked three more times with even greater force.

He fought back a snarl. 'Damn human girl...' He slammed the object on the floor, the shape quickly returning to its idle form. He quickly through the door open, startling Weiss to step away.

"What is it?" He tried to ask calmly.

Weiss looked back to his face, after her vision was briefly glued to his chest. "W-Well one of the matches we have today involves you."

Anu's eyes narrowed, "I am not feeling well."

She 'hmped', "You should tell the instructors that. I don't deliver messages."

Anu's eye twitched, "Then they will be poorly informed on both of our parts." He tried to close the door but Weiss quickly intercepted the action.

"This wasn't a suggestion. Go and tell them."

Anu's fists cracked as his fingers uncurled and nails extended into talons.

"Leave. Now." He demanded through clenched teeth.

[][[[

Anubis was leaning against a ruined palace of a memory, opening his eyes, Akuma at the ready. "You have failed."

The landscape started to warp as the personality-made memory asserted his control on the being in control.

[][[

The fist quickly closed, Anu turning to Weiss.

She only saw his Semblance once before, briefly and from afar. Seeing it this close had an unsettling effect, but she managed to hold her unmoved appearance.

"Ms. Schnee." His voice an octave deeper. "I will-" he gasped, staring straight past her. The sweat that managed to gather on multiplied as he struggled with an unseen force.

"What's wrong with you?" Weiss demanded.

As quickly, Anu's Akuma disappeared. He placed up a false smile, something she could easily identify. "I will join you shortly. I promise." He said with a careful and barely calm tone as if he was emotionally unbalanced or in pain.

Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. "Sure. You better actually get there to say something."

Anu chuckled lightly, "The instructors aren't the ones who want to see me are they?"

Weiss blushed, "Um... well." She folded her arms, "Ruby just needs to see you. Know you're alive. She's been worried sick. Has been asking everyone for you. It's getting annoying. She hasn't gotten news of you since that attack this morning. No one has."

Anu grimaced, "Ah..." He nodded to her, "I shall be there as soon as possible." He laughed lightly, "For what it's worth; I apologize. I've been acting rude towards you, unjustifiably."

Weiss looked away, cheeks still fairly red. "I'll accept that as soon as you put some actual clothing on." She shook her head, "Are you cursed with being permanently naked from the waist up?"

"Would definitely explain a few things..." He joked, hiding the bleeding hand by his side.

[][[[[

'Something is trying to control you, Usurper.' Anubis explained, now returned to the depths of his mind.

'I am afraid I must agree.' Anu solemnly nodded to himself as he progressed through the Academy.

The memory paused before continuing with, 'What are your intentions?'

Anu stopped walking for a brief moment, 'I will leave this place. Tonight.'

Even Anubis didn't expect such an answer.

'I am swiftly becoming a danger. Other Shira-Kai have challenged me with little regard to harming others nearby, and this... thing. I do not know how to combat this influence, only to withhold it. Barely.' Anu scoffed to himself, 'I believe that experience was the only reason why I could deny you control.'

Anu somehow knew that his differing self was sulking over its failure and did not respond to him.

The Shira-Kai's smile faded as he walked into the massive mock-arena. Looking upon the audience. He regrettably does care for them. All of them to an extent. His own team, he wasn't certain. He desires to see what kind of Leader Raf would turn to be, if the outburst he had this day was any indication, he was on a better path then Anu expected initially.

Shora... well, he KNEW Shora had a good heart, better than most, but wholly unknown to it. Why? He wasn't certain. Maybe Raf and Rhaine would help.

And Rhaine... Anu smiled. While she knew how to annoy, agitate and even make him angry, he knew he loved her. Not like THAT. To him it was like being pestered by his sisters, save that his relationship with her was due to her duty, not any family binds.

He couldn't force that grin to return as he tried to find his seat with his team. "Hey, Anu! You feeling alright?" Raf asked, snacking on a bowl of peanuts.

Anu nodded, "Yes. Who's fighting?" Sitting next to Shora, who eyed him before reading.

"Nora and Dove." Rhaine leant and spoke.

Anu 'hmm'ed, sitting back in his seat looking for team RWBY. Unlike his own team, they always moved spots.

Quickly finding the odd collection of colors that consisted of the team, he slowly progressed towards them, attempting to avoid obstructing others views.

He used the set of bleachers a row above where they sat and leant in said, "Howdy! How are you feeling Ruby?" Using the odd word was as cumbersome as it was liberating.

The team looked back, "Ah!" Ruby's face turned red and she faced the match as quickly as he looked back at him.

Anu blinked, "That's a greeting right? Not a... rude term?" Raf taught me it."

Yang laughed, "Na. It's kosher. How's the hand?"

Anu lifted said flange, "Like new." He smiled at her but it declined in size. "However, I'm afraid we must cancel our outing this evening."

Yang almost stood up as she yelled, "WHAT?! IT STARTS IN AN HOUR!"

Anu chuckled uncomfortably before was choked by the blonde as she flung herself and him towards one of the entrances to the vast room.

Her eyes carried a tint of red as she pointed, "Listen wise guy; you gotta cancel, don't do it only an hour in advance!"

Anu held his hands up, sweating. "It is not a decision I took lightly." He then looked back to the assembled audience, making sure no one was eavesdropping. He sighed out of his nose. "I'm leaving Beacon. Tonight."

Yang's eyes returned to their violet state, being converted out of rage to confusion. "WHAT?"

He nodded slowly, "I must go. Some... issues cannot be kept here. I must go home to settle them." He rubbed his neck, "I-I wouldn't be able to handle it if someone was hurt or worse in another attack like today."

Yang looked concernedly at him, "But you'll come back right?"

Anu straightened his back as he honestly answered, "I don't know."

"What was the attack about?"

Anu resisted smiling, "What do you remember of last night?"

Yang blinked in surprise. "Well, Jaune and Pyrrha came back weird. Drunk I think. You were sobbing like a schoolgirl at my feet from keeping Ruby outside when it rained; still not sure how you should fully pay for that now. And... yeah..."

The answer reassured Anu's uneasy conscious. "The attack was perpetrated by one I know. I can cease his attempts, but not here." Anu was honestly terrified of the idea of going to the Colony.

The last true refuge of Shira-Kai was made from what other Faunus sooner saw as a prison, Menagerie. What some thousand people that survived the war and the cataclysm that ended it were there, rebuilding what would take tens of thousands of years to reach out peak.

They were there because of him, he hasn't stepped foot near a Shira-Kai settlement since he... tried to end the civil wars, the monsters and what abominations lie in-between the two on the homeland.

He was certain it would solve the problems he faced, with a chance that he may face a thousand others to replace them. Death being among them. At least Yang, Ruby and all others would be safe.

"Let's kick their asses here! We can't solve problems by running." Yang closed a fist and grinned.

Anu thought for a moment, hesitant to tell her more. What could he say? 'I'm also being controlled by some malevolent force, coming from inside my own mind and body?' It didn't ring right and would do the opposite of help steady Yang. "Not this time, my friend." He smiled sadly.

Yang frowned, pausing for half a minute before she asked, "Do the others know?"

Anu shook his head, "I'd rather just leave. I'm terrible at goodbyes."

Yang thought for the briefest moment before smiling broadly, "Then let's go out! Do what we planned to and you'll leave after it."

Anu hesitantly smiled, "I'm not sure that's a go-"

"Hey!" She scowled at Anu, "You owe me dinner... after we get your clothes."

Anu closed both his eyes, placing his hands behind his head, "You're not going to let this go?"

Anu had a strange churning in his gut and chest as she leant in, smugly smiled and said, "Nope!"

[][

**End of chapter!**

**HOLY SHIT!**

**Finally got this done!**

**Turns out you have to actually work your ass off in college. I know, right?!**

**Anyways, been awhile! Hopefully as soon as I get my groove with school ill pump these out more often and closer together.**

**See ya!**


	28. My Dad's better than Yours

Yang muttered something quickly to the team before she pulled Anu away in a headlock.

"God, nothing in Vale is going to survive." Weiss snarked. "That woman gets punchy when she's drunk."

Blake recalled the night where the Heiress smuggled in a couple bottles of wine. She got a bit tipsy, Ruby passed out before her next glass and Weiss managed to get particularly loud, yelling at everything in wither in an enraged or loving manner.

Then someone came to complain about the noise, lo and behold it was Anu. He explained to Blake a couple days after the bruises had healed that his team was split, Shora wanted quiet, Raf wanted to spy or join in, and Rhaine wanted to outright murder them due to her sensitive hearing.

Anu asked fairly even handily if they would tone it down, to where Yang proceeded to hug, flirt and finally challenged him to a kick boxing match. Or a wrestling match, Blake didn't recall details.

As she mused and recalled the past, her vision drifted to the still sickly Ruby, who was strangely no longer taken by the match. She was glaring. Not the awkward, annoyed looks she gave people when they were teasing, pestering or aggravating herself or her friends, she was glaring. Like a spiteful adult. Blake blinked, "What's eating you? That look had enough venom to kill a mule."

And just like that, her gaze returned. She snorted lightly from her congested nostrils, "W-What are you talking about?"

Blake gave her a disbelieving look but just shrugged and continued to watch the match.

[][[[

"Damn. Lucky bastard." Raf scoffed, "What I'd do to get into the shirt of someone like that." He leant forward, tobacco stick in his mouth as he brooded on his bed, polishing Kleo, one of his pistols.

The smoking commodity was bit in half as someone's fist slammed into the top of his head. He choked on the half that he swallowed as he turned to his female compatriots, rubbing his neck and head. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Staring at Rhaine.

The Faunus was laughing hard, wiping a tear from her eye as she explained. "Don't look at me! Someone beat me to it!"

He looked to Shora, reading a book she held in her spare hand while waving her opposite hand in pain.

"C'mon! You're a dyke! You know what I mean!"

Shora's features contorted temporarily in hate, "I am not gay."

Rhaine scoffed, "All this time we thought you were, Barian." Stretching her arms over her head.

"WHAT?" He demanded, face blank.

"You seem to be overcompensating for something. The way you stare and explain the features of women but never making moved yourself." Rhaine teased. He liked her more when she wanted to kill almost everything.

"Ain't gay either." He deadpanned.

"Where's the proof?" Shora shrugged, not looking away from the font of knowledge she held.

Raf rolled his eyes. "No proof needed."

Shora and Rhaine looked skeptically as he began polishing his opposite pistol.

"Whatever." Rhaine managed as she sighed contently. A whole night with no Priest to worry about.

Shora was wholly of another mind. Despite her initial reaction and her guard toward Anu, she was a mix between being worried for him and being terrified _of _him. He was a Grimm of some kind, who wouldn't be. So that brings to subject the matter of that information projection. Was it a lie? If it was he didn't seem that invested in keeping his nature a secret when she confronted him. Maybe both? He said he had family. They similar to him? Maybe they're an entire family of Grimm that adapted to living with people instead of just... eating them?

"Hey Shora." Raf asked up to her on the bunk.

She marked her page, long since lost her sentence. "What?" Raf held Anu's spear, a paper tied to the end of it.

"It's for you." Raf added, confused himself. Shora placed the book down and took it up, holding the piece of parchment. Crudely, it read, 'Sorry about this morning. For what it's worth, thank you for not telling them and for being a good woman. I'm leaving. No more questions, but hopefully this weapon will give you more than a few answers instead with some queries you didn't know you had'.

Shora dropped the note, holding the weapon with a weak, shocked constitution.

Raf scratched his head, "So. No wonder he left that thing here. Takes that everywhere." He looked up at the blonde Valkyrie, "What was he talking about? What happened this morning?"

Shora's eyes darted from side to side, her chest felt like it was constricting painfully on her heart and lungs.

"Anu's left."

Rhaine screeched, "WHAT?!" Hopping off her bed and picking up rifle and set of armor. "That bastard isn't making me a vow-breaker..."

[][[[

"What... is that?" Anu flinched again when the yellow vehicle roared again. It had two wheels like any other motorized machine made for speedy distances, save this was far smaller and ...

Yang smirked and revved the engine again to see his reaction.

'Very vocal...' Anu concluded.

"C'mon! Get on!" Yang threw him a broad smile while she put on her eyes some kind of reflective surfacing. He slowly donned the protective covering, swinging his legs on the passenger seat behind the pilot of this... ironed horse.

Then the screaming began as she sped at breakneck speeds down the mountain access at the south of the Academy. Currently, he preferred the air transports over this terror drive.

Yang managed to get to the front of the main mall, sighing happily. "Nothing like some good speeding." She tried to sit up but was being tightly hugged around the waist for dear life from her shaking passenger.

She gave him a skeptical look before laughing, "First time, I take it?"

Anu froze, his composure returning but had a tint of red on his cheeks. "Uh well, I haven't ridden such a beast before." Stating plainly, trying to preserve a thimble of pride.

Yang eyed him up and down, "You better let go soon or someone's gunna get ideas." She smirked at his embrace.

The comment made him realize their proximity himself and he quickly hopped off the bike, back turned to Yang. "U-Uh, I apologize for the proximity."

Yang parked her bike, and shrugged. "Well I was planning on us getting closer today." She laughed playfully.

"Ihtah?" The statement made Anu's blood rush and his gut turn uneasily. Shira-Kai associated proximity with... well, intimacy. It's why hugging was reserved for people when they were in... Relations. Of course there were always exceptions where it was completely acceptable. He's had to sleep with his sisters and brother all the time during freezing nights or when they were sickly after they spent them in solitude, it was uncomfortable at first but the unease was easily dropped from the comfort it brought. The only necessity that brought made him hug Yang was his fear. Something a little more embarrassing then from accidental contact.

Before he could fully reform his thoughts Yang eagerly dragged him in another headlock into the collection of shopping stores.

[][[

"I... not sure how I feel about this." Yang had a hand on her chin.

Anu looked down at himself, a 'blue blazer' jacket with a white undershirt and slacks. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. "Looks like something Raf would wear."

She shrugged, "Kinda cowboyish. Huh, random question I need to ask later; why did Ruby name that dog Zwie?"

[][[

"No." Anu stated firmly.

"Come on! It matches your old robes. Sorta." Yang waved a hand.

He was currently wearing a night black robe, with a white sash tied around his midsection. It was even looser then his old robes, easy to grab and take hold of. "No."

Yang gave a frustrated grunt in capitulation. "Fine, fine." She thought out loud, "Maybe if you had orange hair highlights..."

[][[[

"Why would I wear scarves? I know it's near winter but the cold never was bad to me." He pulled the tightly wrapped length of red fabric off his throat. "And this shirt and pants... they're too tight. And I don't like the color. Too bland, like some kind of military uniform."

Yang stared, "Where have I seen this before?" She hummed, "Well, it's made by Titan Productions. They aren't known for their survivability anyways."

"Ah I see." He started fidgeting with the pants, "These... articles reach areas unpleasant."

Yang thought for a moment before laughing out loud. "No shit! They're for women! Sorry about the mix up!"

[][[

"Well... we ran out of shops for combat clothing." Yang sighed, disappointed as she left the latest failure.

"Are there any shops near? Not in this establishment?"

"Well, there's a thrift shop a couple of blocks from here but all they got is old stuff." Yang spat.

Anu smiled eagerly, "Ah! I am curious on how your ancestors appeared!"

Yang shrugged, "Bland, minimal and kinda... just old."

[][[[

The store wasn't near as impressive as the monolithic collection of stores they escaped from, but it had a quiet, unintimidating charm. It was small, specialized and it was more welcoming to Anu.

The shop keeper was a middle aged man, a 'Gary' with low hanging dog ears and brown hair that was beginning to grey. He gladly welcomed the duo and directed them to the clothing area.

The manner of which this store had a quiet charm quickly lost its appeal as Anu spotted weapons. Knives, blades such as axes and swords as well as several hand held fire arms, but quietly dismissed the weapons to the back of his mind as he was presented several options by Yang. "Eh, these look like something my granddad would wear."

[[[[]

Yang smiled lecherously, as Anu walked out. "You look incredible."

"I do?" He spread his arms out, looking questioningly at his attire. It consisted of a 'cord shirt', a plain cream colored fabric top that had a cord tying up the fabric from the gut to the collar bone. It was a fashion thing the last couple of generations in Vale, as much as fashion got in those times. The cord was teasingly loose, giving an appealing hint at his mid chest and fine view of his shoulder bones and neckline. The sleeves were also very loose, giving a more bell-bottom appearance, with the fabric being tighter around his mid and upper arms but sharply loosened on his forearms and wrists. It was almost 'wizardy'.

The pants were blue jeans but ones he prefers that didn't constrict from tightness or were too loose. It wasn't really flattering, in Yang's eyes, but he was happy with the sizes. He looked like some kind of 'old meets new' combination with the cord shirt and jeans and somehow they worked.

"Needs something else..." Yang looked on, tapping her chin. She looked to the storeowner, "Got any coats?"

"Ihtah? I am not cold, I do not-" he then stared as the man brought out a light brown long coat. Heavily modified, the collar was sown into the shoulders. The ends of the sleeves were repaired with black fabric, multiple buttons were missing, the end of the coat was almost in tatters, and a double sided sword imprint was on the left shoulder. While Yang saw a worn, almost ratty appearing piece of old fashioned clothing, Anu saw an aged, foreign, regal kind of beauty.

Anu quickly snatched the coat and donned it, and was surprised to see it was a little big for him. Which suited him just fine. He quickly looked up, "How much? And do you have any other shirts like this?"

[][[

Anu left that store with a broad, idiotic smile, carrying a bag of maybe a dozen or so cord-shirts. 'Gods know I'll need them.'

"That coat looks awful." Yang deadpanned.

Anu smiled maybe a little broader, "Nay! 'Tis a beauty this is!" Lifting his sleeve and glimpsing at the patch. He enjoyed the sight of it, like it was symbol of luck from one the native's deities.

"Got a weird eye for pretty." Yang stretched her arms over her head as she paced outside.

Anu was closing to retorting but was stunned mid pace by the... vexing sight of Yang reaching above her head- before snapping his head forward as she saw him staring. 'Shkinah...'

[][[

Demon scoffed in his mental exile, "I think you have a fetish for humans."

The idea of it made Anu almost choke. Which was odd, because he was thinking in response. "Why the hell do you say that?!"

"Well, there's that Blake. Plenty attractive. Would have went with you if you pestered her enough. Can actually hold a conversation. Then Violet. Pretty. Shy. In a 'I have to protect' sort of way. Could have actually said yes." Demon shrugged, "If you wished to pursue another woman you cou-"

"Silence." Anu's attitude instantly soured. "I am not pursuing any woman, Anubis."

The progenitor rolled his eyes, "Never? Honestly?"

Anu didn't respond, staring down at the man in his mindscape.

"Point made." He lifted a hand to the 'sky'.

[][[[

'Gods, I was a giant as-' Anu was muted as the form of another quickly molded to his back and the person in question placed her hands in his coat pockets.

"Hmmm sees your eye isn't as kaput as I thought." She purred.

While the coat was thick, her pressure against him left nothing open to the imagination. He was frozen stiff, stopped breathing and his mind was all over the place like that incident in his youth where his Toba'Keth managed to sneak into one of manor's tea stocks and couldn't sit still for a fortnight.

This activity continued until Yang managed to whisper in his ear, "You ever had Duiness beer before?"

Anu's brain may have overheated. While what she asked hadn't any true hints of what he thought she initially said but it was the way she said it. He quickly pinched his nose and dashed several paces away from her where he said, "OhnoIhaventhadanyofthelocalspiritstoobusy." He chuckled anxiously.

"That's our next stop then!" Yang sprang back and turned the speed-machine back on.

[][[[

"Where is he?" Prince asked quietly to the ancient Ego compass. The flat triangle's yellow dial hovered in water.

[][[

"Shit, how long will it take for us to find this asshole?" Drake scoffed, polishing the lens of his rifle.

[][[[

"WHERE DID THE BASTARD GO?!" Rhaine demanded Ruby and Blake.

[][[[[

As soon as he and Yang were in front of some tavern, Anu unleashed a plethora of short sneezes.

"Bad allergies?" She asked, holding the door open for him as his discharges finally finished.

He shivered, "I hope so."

The whiff of oaty scented alcohol with friend foods of varying kinds. Activity, loud, communal, friendly mostly. The first thing he noticed were three different kinds of televisions all with their own respective themes of images. The next was a strange table that held several colorful balls and was surrounded by two men who held long, wooden poles.

There were at least seven people, patrons save the server who was behind a form of defensive barrier that held all the concoctions and beverages in the back in front of a massive mirror. Anu tilted his head, 'These people take their spirits seriously.'

Yang slapped his shoulder, "First one's on me."

They sat at the bar, the man in charge, a human with no hair and a healthy gut on him knew Yang and exchanged brief, friendly and VERY LOUD greetings.

"So who's your friend?" The man asked swing an arm at Anu.

"I am Anu Icar-"

"His names Anu." Yang interrupted his usually long introductions.

Anu huffed, crossing his arms childishly where the bartender gave a short belly laugh. "Ahh careful man, don't let her walk all over ya." He pointed at the blonde, "Two oat sodas? Duiness?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Oat sodas?" Anu rose an eyebrow.

"Beer." Yang nodded, smiling.

Two large glasses, almost pitchers in their sizes, were placed in front of both of them, filled with a dark brown, almost pitch black liquid.

She took one by the handle and held it up to Anu, "Cheers!" To where Anu mirrored his host.

When the liquid initially met his tongue, he was close to choking on how different it was. Almost all the wine from homeland was spiced, cinnamon, sugar, mint, almost always sweet. This was bitter but after a noxious first mouthful, the second and third that followed were actually quiet pleasant. Before he knew it, he swigged almost half of the cup, sighing happily as he placed it on the bar.

"I'd ask if you liked it but I think you like it too much." Yang chuckled, clinking her glass against his. "Let's get two more! On him!"

[][[[

Raven smiled, "Fifth of Nine Damned. Lord of Treachery."

The body of water stirred slightly, originating from the center of the pool. The deep night made only the faintest of silhouettes of her quarry visible. "Nice place."

There was a single, quiet scoff before a masculine voice that was actually quiet high pitched asked, "What do you want?"

Raven shrugged, "Just my rightful place in this world, as it should have always been. But I'm not here for that, I'm here for you."

The silence that followed showed a sense of discomfort.

"You know the guy titled Demon right? We know where he is."

There was a scoff, "That man is dead."

Raven chuckled, "Take my word for it, he isn't." She shrugged, "Actually, don't. I'm sure there's gunna be a massive shift in the winds of Ego soon. You'll know it's him." She turned around and started to leave before she stopped and laughed, "Terribly sorry. The city he's in is Vale. See you soon."

The Lord of Treachery stared as the woman left. He smiled at the idea of Anubis somehow being alive, it would be a pleasure to show him the pain he learned.

[][[[

An hour later

[][[[

"Dude! What was your dad like? Just so you know, mine could kick his ass!" Yang slammed the glass down and pointed at Anu.

Anu swayed slightly in barstool, "Ihtah? [My father is a pacifist]..." He drawled. "My father wouldn't want to fight, he'd talk."

Yang brayed her lips, "Pussy." Before drinking from a fresh glass of beer.

"Oi!" He pointed at her, "My auntie would beat your father though!"

"Bullshit!" She declared.

"My auntie beat me! When I left her apprenticeship! I was unconscious for two hours! And I heal really fast!" Anu continued on, his language skills quickly going out the window.

Yang waved a hand at the comment lazily, "Pfft! I could do that!"

Anu rolled his eyes, "What about your mother?"

Yang narrowed her eyes, "What about her?"

"You've done your grandfather and mother, uncle and father. Is your mom a fighter?"

Yang shrugged, "Honestly? Couldn't tell ya. Shes a hunter but what kind?" She gave final frustrated scoff, almost giving up on the idea of it.

Anu slumped as he finished his latest beer. "Is she...? You know...?"

Yang looked over to him and raised a hand. "No, no. Just gone. Dunno where."

Anu thought for several moments, before biology disagreed with him and he ran out of the front of the building.

Yang started cracking up and followed after him.

"Anu! Anu! You throwin' up?" She stumbled out the door and saw Anu ALMOST vomiting against the side of the door.

"She didn't tell y... you where she went?" Anu slurred, standing back up and facing Yang.

Yang wasn't sure why he was still talking about this, "No! She didn't tell me!"

Anu's face was passive as he muttered, "[Your mother...] your mother.. she's trash."

Yang's eyes were dinner plates as her hands closed into fists. "What did you say?" She demanded, low and threatening.

"Your mother is trash for abandoning her fam-" Anu's head slammed to one side as Yang's fist collided with his cheek.

"Shut up!" Yang's eyes were red, "You don't k... know why she left!"

Anu ran a finger under his nose to interrupt a line of bright red fluid. "There isn't a reason good enough to abandon your family!" He growled back, "Doubly so she didn't tell you!"

Yang grabbed him by his collar, "Fuck you..." She hissed.

Anu didn't move away from her glare but did have difficulty keeping both feet on the same place every other second.

"She... she..." Yang eyes quickly returned to normal, having a shocked expression as she bent down and vomited a torrent at both of their feet.

Anu blinked both his eyes irregularly, "Y-Yang? Are you *hiccup* alright?"

As soon as the blonde was done expelling the toxins onto the pavement she lent her head into Anu's chest and heard her silently sniffle.

"Yang?" He asked once more.

"I need to know where she went Anu..." She sobbed lightly. "She just left dad and I. A-and after Summer died..." She grabbed onto Anu's shirt even tighter, tearing it some. "We need her back. Need her back soon."

Anu was too drunk to feel sorry for what he said, but did feel it from making her react this way. She was always a happy person, quick with a smile and a very crude joke and he soured her mood this much from bringing up an enormously inappropriate opinion on her missing mother. Anu's eyes lingered on the Xia-Long before he placed a hand on her left cheek and pushed her head up.

She blinked, "Wh-"

Anu quickly pressed his lips against hers.

[[][[[

**Dun-dun DUUUNNN! X)**

**Anyways! I think the time period separating human civilizations to not only be shorter and more blurred together due to tech developing way faster and social ideas were more frequent with the evolution. Anu is going to be looking like a mix between Colonial and Medieval Europe, not sure if he should have a bow. Kinda like Abel from Trinity Blood.**

**Comment/Review! PM me if need be! Give me feedback or ideas to improve my writing! Til next time!**


	29. Gentlest of Boops

_'Oh what hell have I wrought...'_

-Unknown

[][

Shora shivered in her seat as the last bus that took Hunters finally stopped at its destination. While her twins odd energy kept her warm in this sullen cold night, Shora hated the cold.

"So we check the mall first. Keep your eyes open, they'll be hard to track." Rhaine loaded her 'nonlethal' rounds into her rifle. She stood up as the bus came to a stop, her group following suit.

"He's not a hard guy to lose track of, Rhaine. Kind of tall." Shora commented, checking her watch and then her weapon harness.

Raf yawned, hands in pockets as he left. "Yeah but the guys so boring he might as well be invisible."

[][[[[

After three seconds of lip to lip contact, Anu pulled away.

Yang didn't know what to say. Or do. Hell, breathing has taken a back seat to figuring out what the hell just happened. "Uh..."

Anu looked potentially regretful as he rubbed his chin, silently contemplating the ramifications of his action.

Yang finally managed a sigh, more out of her body needing some kind of air then frustration. "Anu..." She slurred, putting a hand on her head trying to focus.

The man stood up straighter, desiring some kind of response from her, good or ill.

"... how long has it been since you last made out with someone?" Yang tried not to laugh, but did have a couple of chuckles.

Anu blushed from ear to ear, "Ima... nearly five years now." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Wow, I can tell. It was like you were trying to stab me with your lips or something." Yang laughed.

Anu was at first a bit sensitive towards the remark but then started laughing alongside her.

Anu hummed in pleasure from the satisfaction of laughing at such a length and the warm, tingle of the alcohol. "I do like you though." Anu managed as he leaned back against the wall.

Yang smirked, "Listen buddy, we're drunk, you're leav-"

Anu held up his hands, "No no! It wasn't due to my departure. It was accelerated. I also admit, I've never kissed a human before. Added to the exotic endeavor of my attraction towards you." He shrugged with the last statement.

Yang's eyebrow rose, "Yeeeaah, Blake mentioned something that you were half Faunus or something?"

"Oh." Anu scratched his chin again, half stating and half mumbling, "More like two thirds Faunus and a third Grimm."

Yang stared before descending into another bout laughter. "Faunus on the streets, Grimm in the sheets?" She winked.

Anu didn't respond initially. He stood back up and proceeded to slowly intrude within Yang's personal bubble. Every step, he looked up towards her, almost like asking for permission every centimeter, detecting the slightest sense she was uncomfortable. Yang simply leaned back and waited for him to get the message with that same smirk. Eventually though, she got fed up and grabbed him by the collar and introduced to him what a REAL kiss was.

At first Anu was stun shocked, but his body quickly melted into the encounter. It was heavenly at first. Sweet, tender and to Anu maybe a little more than familiar. The next bout was more intense, definitely more lustful and Anu almost jerked back as he felt a slick muscle slide against his lips.

Anu pulled back, smiling in a dazed stupor.

"Good huh?" Yang rose her eyebrows.

Anu chuckled, "Please do not think what has happened is connected to what will follow."

Yang eyed him curiously, "Wha-"

Anu turned, ran around the corner of the bar and could be heard puking.

[][[[

"W-w-we seriously need to get some coffee so I can drive us home." Yang leant on Anu, the man leaning on her, making a bizarre Siamese partnership.

"Nooo..." Anu slurred, "You stay at a hotel. I will 'beat the road'."

Yang gave a short burst of laughter as they made it to the entrance of the parking lodge. "It's 'hit the road'."

Anu smiled awkwardly, "Cold."

'I think he meant 'cool'.' Yang thought.

"Anubis."

The duo almost fumbled over themselves as they turned to the voice.

"Iiihhttaah?" Yang mockingly imitated.

"I don't really sound like that do I?" He spared the question towards his companion who gave a short chuckled, "Who are..." He slapped a hand over an eye, "Ohhh Prince."

Yang blinked, the word and the face(s) blurring together, giving a sense of Deja' vu.

The four warrior-avengers stared at the odd spectacle. Sylvan was the first to ask, "[W-we're still gunna try and kill him right]? [Ignore the human]?"

Prince stared with continued disgust to the pair, "Woman, you will leave this area, immediately."

Yang scoffed, swerving in her stance as she stepped off Anu's shoulder. "Eh! Why? I'll have you know that Anu's a man! He looks pretty but that doe-" she turned her head towards him, "By the way are you a man, or are you a MAN?" Lifting her eyebrows suggestively.

Anu was confused by the question but quickly sobered up and pushed Yang out of way. He carried them both out of the path of the attack, but the dagger seemed to change path midflight and embedded itself in his forearm.

Yang was temporary off balance but quickly regained a sense of reason from the sight of blood. Glowing red blood. She wasn't sure if it was due to the Deja' vu from before or drink or maybe both, but she had a _glimpse_ of something.

A fair skinned, black haired woman in a red coat turned to her, cradling her arm as it was covered in luminescent crimson. 'Little Dragon...'

"Yang! Get out of here!" Anu's voice returned her to reality as he pulled the weird dagger out of his forearm and threw it to the ground. He turned to the group with a growl, "She is neutral in your feud with me! Whatever happens to her, I will inflict tenfold upon you!" His Akuma emerging from instinct.

Prince held an arm to cease Assassins attacks. The leader managed to glimpse at his lesser and noted she was not in the midst of bloodlust, but instead, sweat soaked her coat and her jawline was fixed. She attacked due to her fear. "The attack was unwarranted. The human will leave here."

Yang growled through clenched teeth, "Okay. I ain't leavin' Anu to fight you assholes, whoever you are! And secondly!" She clicked her bracers active and her Aura pulsed to life, "The name's Yang!" And charged ahead with a roar.

The group of Shira-Kai dispersed, Sylvan staying to take the brunt of the punch with her left gauntlet. The sleeve of her robe fell to tatters and cinders but the Huntress failed to injure the giant Faunus. Yang gave a momentary look of surprise before Sylvan's Spear hammer came across her face with her opposite hand.

The Faunus fully expected to break her neck, only to shutter as Yang barely even reacted to the impact and her eyes turned red. With a single punch to the chest, Sylvan flew back, the rocket like explosion causing massive damage to her gut. The Faunus skidded across the pavement, hands over a large wound in the center of her torso.

Yang stared as the Faunus cried out in pain. "Yang!" Anu demanded as the three others regrouped and were temporary bewildered by the injury of their comrade.

Yang shook her head and saw in time as a fiery orb was launched at her. Managing to run out of the way, she was beset upon the woman with those weird Daggers. What was weirder as she blocked the blows with her gauntlets but the weapon ignored her Aura completely and drew blood as it was dragged across her left upper arm.

Yang quickly replied the assault with one of her own.

[][

Prince and Priest circled one another, the latter having drawn a single knife while Prince had his bundle of spears some distance away.

"You'll pay for what you've done, murderer." Prince seethed, scanning for the best moment to attack.

Anu didn't respond, his Akuma likewise seeing the situation. Before the two of their eyes made contact, Anu stood in place. Priest raised his arm, collecting seven spears and sending them in quick attacks in row. Anu managed to flow around them, the spears penetrating the concrete. Prince growled in frustration, summoning another dozen from the bundle, two mass arrow formations over each shoulder. "Damn you!"

Anu shook his head, "Leave. Now."

[][[[[[

Yang quickly jumped back, despite the clear shot she had of that fire-ball guy. She wasn't about killing anyone, and these guys didn't have an Aura. She wasn't taking any risks when it came to her own safety either, that bitch managed to ignore her own Aura, that sure as shit wasn't good cause she relied on its protection a lot more than her team members. This put her in an offensive straight jacket, unable to push an advantage.

Javelin lifted his spear, charging another volley of shots to where Yang prepared to dodge. Her eyes darted about, desperately searching for the other one and unable to find her.

As she prepared for the attack, Assassin struck from the ceiling, her chained Heartseekers speeding towards their mark. Yang managed to hiss her pain as each glanced her thigh and forearm, but the chains quickly wrapped around her left leg and arm.

"[NOW]!" Assassin declared to Javelin.

Three shots of orange flame were sent towards the Xia Long.

"Whoa there!" Someone yelled before Yang was picked up by Anu, Assassin yelling out as she was dragged in front of the three blasts.

The chains ran slack, as Assassin was dragged from the small explosion. Face in the cement and groaning lightly as she smoldered.

Anu smiled wearily, "Sorry about the wait." He placed her on her feet.

Yang's eyes darted to the leader of the group, the one Anu fought. He was scowling, using that telekinesis thing and holding LOTS of those spears over his shoulders. Facing a blank space.

[][[[[

Prince launched his hands forward, all the spears singing at his enemy at once. Priest didn't move as the attack shattered the area he stood upon.

Prince grunted in pain, beads of blood rolling down his eyes and nose. He was panting, 'That was so stupid.' He expended himself too quickly with that all-out attack. He was certain he couldn't do something like that again without killing himself. As the dust settled, Prince was shocked to discover that Anu wasn't the least bit injured. Or even there. He quickly looked around him and saw that he had been engaging Assassin, helping the human fight off Javelin.

Prince recalled that briefest instance of eye contact and cursed himself even more. He had hypnotized him, he was fighting a ghost inside of his own mind. He growled, holding out his hand to a spear, equipping himself.

He charged towards the pair. To where Javelin, facing the two, quickly began to flee. 'Coward!' He yelled mentally as he ran towards them, sensing two spears at the pair.

Yang quickly hopped over one and slammed her fist into the other, forcing the spear to imbed into the ceiling.

Prince's beneath strained as he tried to move both of the spears and only successfully moved one back to his reach. "[Damn both of you]!"

"Speak Remnatian moron!" Reloading Ember Celica, and sending two bolts of fire towards him.

[][[

Lancer was panting as he kept backpedaling away from Anubis, sweat soaking his face and clothing from him forcing his Ego abilities to its maximum endurance, his Spear's tip was quickly becoming a clump of burning metal.

Priest didn't seem particularly threatening, did not bear any weapons but continued to approach him.

"Go home." He plainly told Javelin.

He grit his teeth, forcing his anger over his fear. "You're the one who destroyed it."

Anu's eyes became deadly slits from the accusations.

Javelin nearly called out in fright as he felt the concrete shift under his feet and quickly wrapped around his body, forcing him to drop his spear, like a stony Snake would his prey. Priest shook his head and quickly turned about.

[][[[

"What the hells your problem man?! Were just drinking!"

"[Pathetic Human]... I will burn your putrid existence from this universe! Yours and Demon's!" Prince declared as he held a spear by hand and one aloft.

Yang rolled a shoulder, "Tell it to the judge!" And charged.

The first spear was launched and she kicked it out of the way, launching herself forward with a blast from her weapons and landing an elbow onto his nose.

Prince's face at first sputtered with blood, he quickly recuperated and began a series of very well practiced stabs with his last weapon. Yang noticed that he was sooo much slower with his actual hands and they carried less power. 'Seems he's a mage. Focuses on his abilities instead of physical capabilities.' She quickly punched the spear out of his hands, elbowed his diaphragm and picked him up at his waist and as quickly, throwing him down into the ground. Prince yelling out as he felt his spine almost leaving his body.

"You guys are shit fighters. It was like fighting a bunch of civvies." Yang put a hand on her head.

Anu shook his head, "Perhaps worse." He motioned towards the larger girl that Yang had fought, still on her side and I'm the Fetal position. "She will be fine, she needs a healer's attention for several days." Next he pointed to Assassin, as she lay on the floor and Javelin as he was standing up too straight and stiffly to be normal. He directed his next statement to Prince, "You have only trained in an Art of Death for barely half a decade. You were not ready for even the lowest of Grimm. You have endangered your comrades on this foolish quest for vengeance." He was audibly enraged but it wasn't spoken loudly. "For that, you will suffer the just consequence." He seethed and rose a hand over his head. Prince was almost shaking, his attempt to return to his feet gone as he fell to a knee.

"Anu! They're beaten! You c-"

He threw the fist down, extended a finger and gently pronged Prince's nose. "BOOP!"

A half minute of estranged, contemplative silence filled the area.

Then Anu drunkenly yelled out, "Be humiliated! Bwha*hiccup*hahaha!" Leaning to onside then the other, but kept his fists on his hips as he evilly laughed towards the ceiling.

Yang started laughing after a moment. "Oh god pahahaha! Goddamn Nora for starting that!" And fell to ground gripping her side.

Besides all of the color leaving their forms, the Shira-Kai managed to ask almost in unison, "I-Ihtah?"

How all four of them asked it seemed to add fire to Yang's hysteric laughter as she rolled from one side to the other.

Prince managed to ask out, "What are you?"

Anu shrugged, smiling and the 'comic book evilness' leaving him. "No idea. I do know, however, the man you sought no longer exists."

Prince scoffed, "Even if you ignore your crimes, I will not Demon. You will pay, by my hand. Someday."

Anu's smile grew smaller, "We all have our debts to pay, young one." He then reached out and lifted Prince to his feet, the latter's terror. "And yours is to go home!" He locked eyes with him, and quietly told him, "If you attack another of my friends again, in my presence or without it, you would regret you did not face the man you are seeking." His smile then returned as he cumbersomely asked, "'Kay?"

Yang managed to recover and started to say, "Okay man, you got this under control? Call the cops?"

He shook his head, "No, they'll go home. They're very sorry but if they do it again maybe."

"Good! Cause what I'm about to do to you is illegal in two kingdoms." She smirked playfully.

His pupils shrunk and he quietly asked, "Iht-" but was cut off as a ballistic beanbag slammed into the side of his face and sent him across the parking floor.

Rhaine smiled sadistically, Raf and Shora at her back, "Found ya."

"Overdo it much?" Shora demanded sarcastically as she pushed a finger to Anu's prone, groaning form.

"Hmph! He's a deserter. I should be hanging him." Rhaine rolled her eyes.

Raf shook his head, "But really?! Was it needed? You literally almost beaned the fucker to death!"

Yang threw her hands up in the air and yelled out, "OKAY! Who else is coming!? It's a fuckin' party now!"

[][[[

There it lay, the grandest and thus most foreboding of tomb-paths. Upon a hill devoid of life, were the miles of struck dead, their head stones enshrin- 'Whoa!' Ruby blinked as she suddenly caught herself walking a stone path. She shook her head several times, feeling the return of her body and senses. She shivered, realizing she was still in her pajamas and did little to shield her from the cold.

'Where am I?' She looked around further and noted the path, curving around the hill, the road fenced by blocky gravestones marked in weird writing. Though as she regained more and more of herself, she noticed the pyramidal stone hut at the top, and past that, the red tone mist that cradled all she could see, and beyond that...

Ruby's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. 'Okay, definitely dreaming.' She thought as she stared at a circular and whole moon. Colored an intimidating scarlet at its outer edges but a sickeningly bright white at the center like some kind of demonic eyeball.

"C'mon me! Wake up!" She yelled out to no-one. She circled around and saw the path behind her circling down, leading to a road that lead out of this graveyard and the uncountable number of denizens it held. The sight made her jaw drop, 'There must be thousands here! Tens of thousands!' As she took a step back, her bare heel slipped on the moist stone and fell on her rear.

"Ouch ouch ou-" She had the realization that that hurt. She quickly stood up and looked around before she began pinching her arms sharply before she stopped. "O-o-okay... Not dreaming." She took several coming breaths, "Have to find help. There's got to be someone nearby." As if the thought somehow manifested the sensation, she heard the shattering of glass against and hard surface further up the hill. 'Ah! Maybe there's a groundskeeper here!' Using her semblance to rush up the hill in a flight of rose petals, she stopped at the throat of the top.

At one of the steps of the pyramids roof, sat a man overlooking one side of the morbid landscape. He was covered in dark red robes, almost matching the color of the moon and mist but wasn't sure if it was the actual color or was being colored by the elements. At his side were several bottles, 'Alcohol.' Ruby thought. Where in his free hand, he held a silver mask of what looked like a dog.

She blinked, "Jackal?" She inquired loud enough for him to hear.

He stiffened in his seat, quickly placing the art of silver on his face and turning towards the hunter. His eyes briefly flared a bright red, as if the breath from her question fanned flames behind them.

There was a still moment, till he asked, "Little Rose?" He stood up and leapt from his seat, landing directly in front of her. He stared down, Ruby feeling his gaze pierce her presence like a knife.

"D-do you know-?" She was cut off in a short scream as he grabbed the top of her shirt and lifted her off the ground, giving even level to both their eyes.

"How in the name of the gods did you get here?!" He demanded, his voice bouncing and radiating from everywhere as if the buried dead had joined their voices to his.

"I-I-I don't know! I-I-I just... I don't know!" Ruby tried to explain.

A low, guttural growl emanated from Jackal as he bore a final prolonged stare into the human. He scoffed, shaking his head and proceeded to drop her on the floor.

As she landed with an 'oof!' he climbed back to his perch.

"H-hey!" Ruby stood back up, "Can you help me get back to Beacon?"

She could FEEL him rolling his eyes. "You are already at Beacon, child." Turning his head to her, "You, in your idiotic blundering, have somehow crawled into my mind from the Usurper's... experiments."

Ruby turned her head, "Who? Experiment? Huh?"

Jackal gave a short bark of laughter. "Ah, the culmination of your kind's ingenuity aren't you?" His tone soured as he spat, "That thing you call Anu. His wish to see you relieved of your pain over your parent."

Ruby puffed out a cheek in annoyance, "How are you and Anu friends?"

Jackal turned his head towards her, giving a look of shock or outrage. She couldn't tell, she only saw the eyes and she was never good on reading people with a full face. "Mind your thoughts with greater control, human." He drawled, his voice carrying a tone of disgust. "If I see another image of whom you desire to mate with, I will cut you down."

Ruby stuttered, "W-what?"

Jackal rolled his head around, "You are beginning to pester me, Rose. I assumed you would have understood your situation by now." He reached for a bottle out of the row, clawing open a cork at the top with a long, taloned thumb nail. "You are in my mind, you fell here, supposedly, when you slept. All motive, feeling and thought is open to me as a parchment to the High Scholars. You yell your thoughts as you speak your words." He removed his mask, but his face was out of view, gesturing with his hand outward towards the graves. "Find your own way out, I know the Usurper taught you how."

The young hunter contemplated a moment before she spoke out, "Wait a sec, I did that memory thing with Anu, not you. I should be in his mind!"

Jackal inclined his head, "This is as much his mind, as yours belongs to that figment-construct of a mother that you created."

Ruby once more pondered this statement, "I don't get it. I thought you were like my mother, he created a living memory of you or something."

Jackal sighed, "Memories are odd. Sometimes they are a spitting image, sometimes they're just a bit off." He swigged from his bottle, "Sometimes they are what is desired, and wholly nonexistent of truth."

Ruby threw her hands up, "You're a big help." She breathed out, thinking. "So I got to scare myself awake... hmmm... I'm n-"

"Just do it soon!" Jackal yelled.

Ruby threw her arms to her sides and blurted at him, "Be quiet! Stop being such a B-hole!"

After a moment of silent focus, Ruby let go of her breath, as if holding it back would put enough fear in her mind and would awaken her from this trance. "Hey, Jackal, can you help me out? Can you make something scare me? Not too much! Just something to freak me out." She looked towards him and was struck with the realization that Jackal was no longer there.

"I would offer something terrifying." Jackal said plainly behind her, making her jump and turn in spot.

Ruby took several steps away from him, noting the white locks coming off his shoulders as he held the mask in front of his face with a hand. "W-what?"

He slowly began approaching her, "The truth." He scoffed, "Gods know that Anu would unlikely share it with you unless you press him."

"You can tell me from over there. You don't need to get clos-" she gave a sharp 'eep!' as her back touched the wall of the hut and as she looked back, his barely masked face was inches in front of hers.

"Hmmm... I must say, only now can I see you and your sister's relation." He chuckled lowly, "It's such a shame, your want, your new found need of him."

Ruby could only feel her heartbeat as she grasped her breath.

"But you've pondered it, haven't you?" His red eye and pale skin peeked from one side of the mask. "That Yang and he are being intimate, that she is stealing him from you."

Ruby wasn't sure if she was reacting to his words or being effected by something else, too much blood was coursing through her body and she couldn't will herself to move, terror freezing her muscles and bones.

"Your hope for him is little. He indeed desires your sister. He will be hers, and he will be yet another thing far away, distant, and childish you would envy and desire. A mother, a 'fairy tale' family, and now, a lo-"

Ruby yelled out as she lashed out with her hand and struck Jackal across his face, sending the mask flying to the side.

She panted in sheer rage, adrenaline and hatred filling every inch of her being. At that moment, she didn't care he hit back, she wanted a fight, but what he actually did shook her more than any battle. He turned back to her and smiled, with no arrogance or haughtiness visible. He smiled proudly at her.

Worse, it was with Anu's face, but far paler and had none of the kindness.

[][[[

Anu snakingly sat up against the wall, moaning in his daze. Leaning his head on Rhaine's shoulder, the Faunus quickly shoved him off to her partner, who likewise, threw him back to her. Rhaine scoffed and threw Anu to the ground. "Raf, you're team leader, you drag his ass back home."

"Like hell. You wanted team leader since the world started a'spinnin'. If you do this, I might think of swappin' you as my second in command." He chuckled as he saw the outrage crawl on her face.

"WHAT?!" Rhaine threw a fist up, "I was already second in command!"

Raf rose his eyebrows mockingly, "Ohhh? Sorry darlin', then you were replaced first meetin'." He pointed to Shora, "Frankly, she's scary, makes me feel like an idiot, but out of the three of ya bastards, she's the only one that has a head."

Anu gave a sharp moan, almost like he was in the conversation. Rhaine took the random sound like a confirmation of Raf's claims and quickly stomped a foot on his head, "YOURE NOT A PART OF THE PICTURE!"

"Whoa! No more curb stomping!" Yang picked him up by his arms, where he acted the part of a dead weight and rag doll. With his head finally falling into Yang's generous cleavage. Yang gave giggle as she hugged him tighter. "No more fights tonight, sleepy head."

Rhaine's head tilted at the image, Raf ground his teeth in envy, Shora, in her infinite grace and emotion, after a moment of staring at her 'grimm' partner, didn't give a shit.

"Can one of you drive a bike? I need it back at Beacon, Anu and me will get a room for the night."

Anu stood back up and meekly asked, his skin nearly red from both what she said and realizing where he just rested his head. "Ihtah?"

"Luckiest fuckin' bastard, ever I swear to god..." Raf muttered under his breath.

"Okay, ew. And no." Rhaine commented, "Those things are death traps."

Yang scoffed, "Your team sucks." Where she heard a whistle and looked at Shora, holding her hand out. "You ride?" Shora nodded, where Yang sighed, "Better not have a scratch." And tossed her keys to the Valkyrie.

Anu shook his head, "Nay." Standing up, "We both will return to Beacon."

Yang gave him a surprised look, "Why?"

Anu at first had a very serious look, but then he smiled broadly and shrugged, "I am not sure, I don't feel it correct to leave now. Get some free choclate, think about it later."

Rhaine scoffed, walking into his vision, "Damn str-" she squeaked as a silver spear was stabbed into her back and out her belly, and managed to stick into her outstretched arm.

Everything happened in slow motion to Anu, as Rhaine began to fall Raf pulled out his pistols, Yang readied her weapons, but Anu was already charging towards Prince, his arm out reached.

Anu felt the need to squeeze the life out of the boy-man for possibly killing his friend. What he did next was perhaps even worse.

His Akuma manifested, as willful as any time he consciously forced it within almost five years. He then focused on Prince's eyes.

[][[

Ruby's next breath was an intake of shocking and unbearable cold, a cloud forming as she breathed out. "What's happening?"

The now mask less 'Jackal' looked to the sky and saw the white at the center of the moon being swallowed in red. "By the blood of the Gods..." He then dashed to Ruby, "If you find your way back here, I will teach you much, but if you do not, ask Anu of the 'Demon of Atlas' and do not cease until he gives you a straight answer!"

Before Ruby could offer another word of question, Jackal pushed her down but instead of falling to the ground, she fell past it into a black, endless abyss. At first afraid, she began saw a surface at the bottom and knew what Jackal had done.

'That... that butthole could've helped me wake up whenever he wanted.' She thought before she hit the floor.

Ruby sprung out of her bed, sitting up and covered from head to toe in sweat.

[][[]

Prince knelt in a shallow pond of red liquid, his reflection in it being disrupted by the occasional drip of more red liquid.

"You dare..." A voice boomed. "You dare!?"

Prince looked up to find its source, only to nearly faint as he saw the faces of his pack, his family, neighbors, all of them looking down at him in a circle. Their faces enraged, but eyes black, skin cracked like old stone and the scent of blood and rotting meat emanating from them.

"You will not return here. Not you. Or these faces will be even more real then what you see here." The voice continued.

The entities leant in further, before they gave a single, unified, deafening, "LLLEEEAAAAVVVEEE!" A scream, a cry so profound it forced Prince to dig his head into his lap, hands over his ears. Seconds passed to minutes, and finally hours as he wept for it to cease.

[][

Anu dropped Prince to the floor, his face matted with tears and with a shocked, plain face.

Anu waited a moment, looking to his coterie, not as active and anxious of what he did to their leader. He looked back to Prince and yelled out, "Leave!" Where the young man did not waste a minute and bolted out of the building, not even gathering his equipment. He looked back to his pack and saw them follow suite.

He then rushed to Rhaine's side, the Atlas High Guard coughing blood into the stone.

Anu knew what he must do. He ordered to Raf and Yang, "Hold her arms!" They gave a second look at both him and Rhaine and saw him grasp the spear.

"Anu! She needs a hospital! That'll kill her if we remove it!" Raf declared as he shoved Anu away from Rhaine.

The Akuma tempted him to influence his leader to walk away, to do as he says but shook the thought away, "I can heal her now! She will not make it to a healer!"

"What? What are you going to do to her?!"

"Help me or leave!" Anu stomped past him.

Raf cursed under his breath, "Hold her arm!" He pointed to yang who was already doing it.

Anu grasped the wrist impaled by the spear, "Talk to her, Raf."

Rhaine lost a lot of blood and already had paler complexion, but mewled softly as she stared wide eyed as Anu held the spear.

"Hey, hey! Eyes on me!" With one hand grasping her upper arm, he used his opposite to turn her head. "You turn your head without a say so, I'm gunna... gunna... Dammit! I don't know some crazy weird shit!"

Rhaine cracked a small smile and weakly said, "Fucking..." Before coughing a small fit.

"No speaking either bitch!" Raf ordered.

Her fiery gaze returned to her partner. "Don't like that? Too bad! Only time you can't do shit, bi-!"

She screamed out in pain as Anu quickly pulled the spear out of her arm and fully pulled the weapon out of her abdomen in the blink of an eye.

"Whatever you're gunna do, do it now!"

Anu cut a deep gash in the palm of his hand, placing it over the hole in her gut. "Force her head to look up!" Rhaine limply complied with some help, and blurrily saw Anu over her as he bit in his wrist, pulling out some meat from himself and his life blood pouring out. "Open her mouth." Yang stared in outrage only for a second before she did as he said. He pressed his bleeding wrist into the orifice, pouring the red medium into her gullet.

This strange act seemed to do nothing and Raf planned to try and shoot Anu as he knelt over his dead team mate. Then the screaming and thrashing from Rhaine started.

Between the three of them, they almost couldn't hold her down. Anu lifted the hand over her gut and saw the wound pulling together in a disgusting but reassuring visage of blood and tissue. He grasped the screaming mouth of Rhaine and forced their eyes to make contact for several seconds.

Raf stared with utter confusion as Rhaine slowly began to diminish in her movements, her screaming dimmed and she finally fell unconscious.

Anu was panting as if he just got done running half way across the world and flopped to his back off Rhaine, wrist in front of his eyes.

"Holy shit, I think I just got my first grey hair..." Yang commented.

Raf quickly ran to Anu, lifting his head from the ground from grasping his cord shirt. "She's going to be okay?! She better be okay!"

Anu nodded numbly, eyes close, "She will be fine."

Raf growled and shook him, "Look me in the eye and say that!"

Anu's gaze was revealed and focused on his. The whites of his eyes were a deep crimson, his red eyes were edged with a tinge of orange and yellow. And the way he spoke carried a tone of apathy or menace, "Yes... she will be 'okay'."

Raf's eye twitched from the sight and quickly dropped him, closing his eyes again. He quickly ran back to Rhaine and sighed, "Let's get her to a bus. The infirmary open this late?"

Shora was at the edge of what had happened as she sat on the motorcycle, her fascination only growing greater before she drove up to the group. "Put her on, I'll get there faster."

Raf eased her in front of Shora and only backed away when he was satisfied Shora would be able to take her safely. "Go on." Where the Valkyrie sped off.

"Anu?" Yang crawled toward him, "You okay?"

Anu gave a breath of a chuckle, giving a small smile. "Ask me in the morning." While his eyes were closed.

Yang looked back, "Raf, stall us a bus?"

Raf felt it took way more energy to nod at the request then it should have, but he picked up Romulus and proceeded to leave.

When Yang thought he wasn't in ear shot, she quickly asked, "What the hell was that?"

Anu grimaced, "I used my blood to repair her, lent..." He turned his wounded wrist towards Yang. "My regeneration to Rhaine to save her."

Yang urgently picked the flange up, "Now YOU need a hospital!"

Anu slowly shook his head, "No, I'm just tired. And need to brush my teeth, my mouth is filled with the taste of blood."

Yang rolled her eyes, "Wonder why."

He gave a short bout of laughter, "So, was this a nice date?"

Yang almost laughed from the question herself, "Hmmmm, no somethings missing."

Anu looked guilty, "Oh no, did I do something to offend? Was there something I missed to do? Was a ru-?" Yang smashed her lips into his.

He nearly opened his eyes, it was amazing and awkward kissing her like they were, upside down and was close to turning the tables, pinning her to the ground and continuing but grasped the idea firmly and threw it out.

Yang pulled back and chirped, "NOW it was a good date. We'll just skip the near death experiences."

Anu broadly smiled, Yang noticing some canines she could have sworn weren't there before. "Then I am glad."

"C'mon, let's go babe." Yang stood up.

"I'll follow you shortly." Anu smiled at her.

"Don't take too long!"

Anu's smile disappeared and he opened his gaze he quickly crawled to the puddle of blood. Rhaine's blood. His blood. Enough to fit in a large bowl. He panted, its smell so sweet, so... amazing...

He struggled to push himself away from the mass of red, trying so hard to relent.

He could not. At first he supped at it with his tongue but soon gave way to sucking it wholly with his lips touching the grimy floor beneath it.

This moment, he felt disgust of himself, but also unfettered pleasure and a sense of fulfillment.

He felt every muscle, bone, and cell in his body growing stronger, surer. Soon, the Ego he expended tonight was recovered and surpassed.

Only as he stood from the puddle did he truly contemplate out loud, "Gods, what is this?"

[][

"Did you see him? Dude, did you see him?" Cronin demanded, "Shit, he probably left on the motorcycle."

"Stop worrying." Drake ordered as his sights were threw his cannon.

"We could double back, find the bike."

"Shh!" He hissed, "He's there." Drake stated.

Cronin nearly leapt off the ledge, "O-oh shit, that's really him." He took out his scroll, "Smile, dick head."

Drake couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as he peered at him. He was wiping blood off his clothing, his face. What the hell happened in there?

Then he suddenly stopped his cleaning mid stroke, dropping his hand to his side.

He then looked up and back at him threw the scope. 'The hell...?' "He's seen us, time to go." The moment he removed his scope, he stood on the ledge in front of him.

Fear, the kind of which he's never felt before, forced his limbs still as he tried to reach for the trigger his weapon.

"Do not follow again, human." He ordered, blood smearing his mouth and chin as he knelt in front of him, "Or you will regret it."

Drake's digit managed to wrap the activator and a scythe sprung from the rifle and he swung it up and down towards him.

"Whoa!" Cronin grasped Drake's coat as he nearly tumbled over the side. "Fuck! You don't say shit for a couple of minutes and then wanna off yourself?! I know I'm not a good talker but damn man!"

"Where'd he go?!" He looked from left to right.

"He sprinted towards his buds I think, I tried to get ya to follow, but not sure if you were caught in his spell." Cronin inclined his head, "You're welcome by the way." He held his device, "We got plenty of good pictures though, boss is gunna be REAL happy."

Mission accomplished, but Drake could swear that they stumbled on something worth a hell of a lot more then what they're going to be payed.

[][][][]]]

"You had to have blood your own blood to recover?" Raf asked, too tired to around confused.

"Indeed. It was... ", He looked out of the buses' window, "It was necessary."

"Ahhh don't sound so bad!" Yang hopped to the seat next to Anu's, "It's not like I have enough energy to kiss ya anyways." She winked at him as she pushed her form closer to him. She was starting to really like making him blush. "But you're okay? Really? No tough guy acts here."

Anu's lips jerked up in a smile, "I... don't feel that bad actually."

Raf scoffed, "Compared to your pal who was made into a living shish kabab anything's better."

Anu couldn't help but linger on his return to Beacon. Armed children managed to find him here. A friend nearly died. What if one of the Lords of the Damned managed to catch whisper of his being alive? Let alone where he is, or, if he had truly left Beacon? One of them would cause insurmountable damage, the deaths of so many being again laid at his feet in their pursuit of him.

For better or for worse, he needed to stand his ground now. His names were in the wind, cast by someone and Anu had little doubt they would find the ears of one yet stronger. He had to be here, if he could not defeat them, to give the onslaught a focus away from those innocent.

Anu still savored the taste in his mouth, his body temperature warming the liquid as it coursed threw him. He wasn't sure if this aspect of his Grimm nature that has been manifesting would indeed be a curse, or perhaps an opportunity to regain the strength of his past as Demon, without the need to commit what had been done. Hinderence or blessing, it could be thing that may save others if a Damned managed to track him down. It's strange, Anubis had never once been tempted to devour blood, but his Akuma was so strong it could override autonomous functions of the body. Anu thought being a Blood Lotus as being more of child of Dust, but with the mind of a monster. Perhaps it was the other way around? A Grimm's heart but a Child of Dust's mind?

He looked over at Yang without turning his head, bringing him out of his muse. He didn't know how to feel with her. He wasn't sure if she desired a closer companion, a thorough relationship or anything. Anu did desire a real bond with the Xiao Long, but looking at her he felt ashamed. Not for the fact that she was human. Frankly, he was glad she was almost the exact opposite of Julianna in every respect imaginable. It was the fact that he himself feels conflicted about approaching her, due to what he feels of Julianna. Anubis, Demon, Slayer, Priest-to-be was the one who had this bond with the woman, not himself as he is.

Anu mentally shook his head, and hesitantly wrapped an arm around Yang's shoulder. "S-so what's the plan for tomorrow?" The term was blocky and unfamiliar as he bashfully looked away.

Yang chuckled evilly, "What we try to do every day, Anu." He rose an eyebrow in confusion, where she whispered, "We're gunna try and take over the world."

He stared at her, "Ihtah?"

Instead of quelling his confusion she settled with smirking and crossing her arms.

The bus was quiet for their own reasons, Beacon lay open before them as the vehicle made its approach.

The long day finally drawing to a close as it stopped.

"Anu, before I forget, how old are you?" Yang asked as she stood up.

Anu began cursing every single manner of god, deity, divine being in all of existence that has been, is and ever will be.

[]][[]

**After so long, I have finally returned! May all bow and pale before my existence! May all aspects of man and nature weep bloody tears that he did not enjoy its season in the sun!**

**Sorry, the evil overlord needing some venting. Feel much better!**

**No excuses for why I was gone, but understand I couldn't get to this thing until recently. I hope you all will forgive me and give me lots of reviews, opinions, ideas and ways I can get better!**

**Hey Capri! Let me know if ya want a certain character to appear differently!**

**Adios!**


	30. Silver Demon, Crimson Priest

_**! Before I continue: I haven't much of the new RWBY season. It's up in the air if i will or not, regardless, I will barely if even change the story thus far or what is planned. So No Spoilers¡**_

**'Despite their strength, almost every God was bound to a construct called the Tower. From the lowest of Vandals, to the Emperor himself. Save those born here, on [Remnant], every Divine was tied to its existence like a heart to a body.'**

_\- Excerpt of 'Extinct Divinity'_

Chapter 30- Silver Demon, Crimson Priest

'**A new Bishop's on the board**'. Ozpin's eyes narrowed from the message on his Scroll. Following the words was a data-pak, a video from a security feed barely under a minute long.

The instant it started to play, the headmaster's eyebrow quirked up. It looked like a Schnee facility, snowflake on the corner of the image display. From the grainy visual, a patrol of guards were alerted to something, baring rifles, looking over every nook and corner. They looked well trained, being able to cover their _abc's_. What happened next was off the alphabet entirely: a large, robed being dropped from the ceiling, the camera barely catching the blurs of motion as it butchered the guards till only one remained.

The thing proceeded to stare down the survivor, not shooting him when he had in his sighs and dropped to his knees. After several seconds, the being waved its clawed hand, guard picked up rifle, placed it under his chin. Ozpin closed his eyes for a moment, 'skipping' the moment. The thing stared down at the carcass and looked up at the camera. A single, glowing eye visible under the hood, where the video froze.

'**Term: Marcus**' his contact continued.

'**What'd Marcus take**' Ozpin sent back. Bringing his recently refilled cup to his lips.

'**Artefact **_**Thirty**_' Ozpin nearly choked as the coffee went down.

'**Disciples are getting bolder**'

Ozpin placed his beverage on the table, rubbing the sides of his head.

**'Queen will get **_**Thirty**_'

Ozpin clemched a fist and sent a final message, '**Not if we find it first**' and shut the machine off.

][

"They were children from my homeland." Anu stated after sucking up a length of spaghetti into his cheek. "A reason being they could have been here? I cannot tell you." He shrugged, "I'd like to think they were testing themselves on one of the Slayers that are left. I didn't even finish my training but am a member of the few Shira-Kai who has dedicated combat experience."

Rhaine's eye twitched, "What?" She scoffed, "You? Military?" She pressed her left hand against her forehead. "If my good arm wasn't in a cast, I'd have smacked the shit out of you."

Anu laughed, "No doubt, but no. Not military. Slayers were more like security towards the Grimm then anything." He pointed at her with a fork, "Focus less on hitting me and actually eating your food."

Rhaine stuck out her tongue and pushed the tray up. "Nothing will ever go in this mouth ever again. Ever since what you did, nothing has tasted right."

Anu narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance, somewhat understanding what she meant. Rhaine looked so much weaker than before, almost ill. Her skin had very little color, her eyes carried no energy and the fact she was in a plain gray hoodie and sweat pants compounded this. He wrapped another loaf of spaghetti noodles around his fork like Ren had done, "If you don't, I'll get Raf to spoon feed you again."

Rhaine gave a small shutter. It was strange her not glaring at him, must be so tired she can't even muster anger towards him. "Don't remind me of that." She quietly stated. She stared at the plate of rice and pieces of fried beef, "Odd enough that you of all people saved me. Expected Raf to be throwing a bash while I was in a coma for two days."

Anu grimaced, "He cares about you." Anu swore he saw color suddenly return to her face, where she turned her head and muttered something about 'copper rider'. He then smiled and jokingly declared, "If anyone would have had a party it would've been me!"

She tried to hold back a smile, throwing her free hand into his shoulder. "Shut up."

Anu comically rubbed the area, "Aw. My recent bruises just healed to."

Rhaine shook her head with that small smile. "So..." She asked quietly. "I'll be staying behind for the trip." She shrugged, "Guess it's good you won't go looking like a complete tool. Tired of looking like the only actual Hunter in the group."

"Ha!" Anu exclaimed. "Don't worry about me." Finishing the last of his meal and prepared to leave, she grasped his wrist, making Anu look at her curiously with just a bit of shock.

"I..." She hesitantly added, "I suppose I should thank you."

Anu put the tray back on the table and placed his hand over hers. He was smiling broadly, "No, you don't need to. Two reasons. First, I shouldn't be thanked for doing my duty."

Rhaine understood that, at a soldier's level at least.

"Secondly, you are my friend."

Rhaine stared at him.

"Despite what you may think of me, even if you do not care for me in turn, I definitely care for you. No amount of pummeling will change that." Anu nodded, finishing his explanation.

Rhaine coughed into her hand, letting go of Anu's wrist. "You're a..." She scoffed, "You're an idiot."

Anu smiled, "See you later, Rhaine."

Rhaine sighed mentally, regretting she didn't have more to do then rest. Wished she could go to a range. Too much time to think. She needed to do something, anything, but contemplate further on what has recently transpired. She was thankful for that murdering scum, and she tried to focus on that with all the will she could muster but dimmed constantly as her mind wandered back to how he called her friend. It was perhaps the most disturbing torture an enemy could inflict on another.

[][]]

"You could take a break. Sleep longer than three hours." Shora commented as Raf stood over his workbench.

He didn't immodestly respond, analyzing and re-analyzing his now heavily modified pistols. While they were just that before, now one had a larger iron sight, and the other had none, instead having a latch big enough for the sight to be inserted. When he flicked a trigger below the safety, the grips expanded out, blocks attached to one another connected by a line of metal cord. Raf began combining the weapons, twisting the handles downwards where they initially joined horizontally. The blocks, recognizing their magnetic attunement to each other, fused closer together, where he pushed the grip up, combining into a longer handle, the barrel expanding outwards and widening slightly.

These modifications removed magazines for his pistols entirely, forcing him to place handmade cartridges inside each of the weapons, which pulled the grip away from the main weapon, similar to double barrel shot guns.

Raf pointed the weapon towards a nearby target taped to the wall and pulled the trigger. Instead of shooting as widely as his previous mishaps, red paint splattered against in a tight pair of cones.

"Raf?" Shora asked.

He almost jumped when he began to register his team mate. "Uh, yeah? What's up Shor?"

The blonde woman grimaced, loathing to repeat herself. "Get sleep. Your weapon is fine now."

Raf rubbed a hand over his face, fighting back a yawn. "Could be better. I'll hit the sack when I get to the AP ammo. Tryin' to make it convert that to solid slugs or something'."

"It can wait, we're leaving for the Forever Fall forest in five hours. You need your strength." Shora sighed, walking past him and pulling down the target.

"I'll be fine for the trip." He forced a smile. "Don't worry about me."

Shora walked towards him, grabbing the side of his gun. Raf was almost challenging Shora with his eyes, whom the later did not break contact with. "You haven't stopped working in here since we've returned to Beacon."

Raf tried pulling the weapon out of her hand, "I'm doin' my job. Makin' sure I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Shora demanded.

"Exactly." He finally yanked it out of her grasp. "I need to be prepared for anythin', alright?"

Shora shook her head, "I don't mean to sound like I'm taking over for Rhaine, but you're acting like a moron." She tossed the wad of paper onto the desk. "Destroying yourself over what MAY have happened but didn't won't help you. Or us."

Raf broke eye contact, "I didn't fuckin' see it comin'."

"No one did."

Raf gently rubbed his eyebrows, "I still just see it. Over. And over again. She nearly DIED."

"But she didn't. And she's perfectly fine now." Shora placed her hand on the gun, but unlike before, he didn't resist when she pulled him away from it and put it on the worktable

"If I ever see that bastard again..." Raf looked her dead in the eye, "I'm killing him."

Shora was honestly surprised from the declaration. Raf's behavior has been erratic of late, but she didn't conceive he was off enough to declare an intent to murder someone. Shora bit her lip, placing a hand on his shoulder and turned him towards the door. "Go. Sleep."

Raf rolled his shoulders and sighed, picking up his new weapon mode, Rasputin, waving a hand as he left. "See ya in four hours."

[][[[

"Yes, yes! Ill wake you before we leave! Good night!" Anu closed the door to the door, placating Rhaine as he tucked her in. He sighed, "[That woman needs to apply that energy into so-]."

"Hey, you Anu?"

Anu blinked several times at who he saw. The man was colored a dark orange-red, messy hair that of a diluted copper, clothed in a white dress shirt and tan slacks. He wore a pair of dark, circular sunglasses and held in his left hand a simple steel cane. He almost turned his head at his appearance, and realized he was a little taller than him. "Uh, yes. Who are you?"

He smiled, "Name's Fox Alistair. I'm a second year here, with team CFVY." He started tapping the floor lightly as he started to approach him closer, "We heard about what happened with your teammate. Just thought we'd invite ya with us to Vale for some coffee with the team."

Anu rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh I actually have an appointment with a friend in Vale soon."

Fox smiled wider, "No problem, we won't take much time with you if it'll interfere." He shrugged, his face more looking past him then at him. "We're just wanting to congratulate you. First years aren't so lucky when introduced to the same stuff."

Anu smiled back, "I don't see why not."

Fox nodded, "Excellent! My team'll arrive a bit later at the cafe'." And proceeded to turn and tap the floor gently with the cane once more.

"Why are you doing that?" Anu managed to ask.

Fox grimaced, "You serious?" When he was met with silence, he was convinced so. "I'm blind."

Anu blinked, "What? How are you a hunter?"

"I can see more then with my eyes." He waved an arm, "Subject for later."

As the two bantered, Anu managed to see a glimpse of a crimson cloak around the corner, speeding his pace towards its wearer.

As he managed to catch up, "Hey Ruby!"

The Rose paused for a moment before she turned to face him. Anu glimpsed a face of either surprise or worry before she managed to smile and say passively, "...Hi."

He blinked, "You have recovered? Fever yet plague you?"

It took her a moment to piece together the words before she declared, "Oh no!" She waved both hands up, "Clean bill of health! Or something like that."

"Good!" Anu beamed, "Again, I'm very sorry for being responsible for making you sickly."

'Oh god, not the puppy eyes!' She waved her hands hard, trying to block the burning cheeks, "N-n-n-nothing to be sorry about! Honest! Was worth it!" She then sputtered even harder, "THE DREAM THING! THE WORTH IT!"

Fox leant to the side, "Uhhh I'll go get our ride ready." And awkwardly walked out of the dorm.

Anu smiled and placed his hands in his pockets, a habit he's forming. "I understand, I understand. Have you experimented further? Do you need more help?"

Ruby's mind, once running a thousand different directions in a thousand more different velocities, froze. 'Demon of Atlas.' The words needed explanation, among many other subjects. She swore she heard that phrase, but couldn't put an image for it. At first she puffed her cheeks filled with air and proceeded a series of rapid breathing to get her adrenaline flowing. 'Gotta ask about this Demon thing before it splits my head open from weirdness.

"Rubes, you sure you're alright?"

She blinked, _'Rubes_?' Only Yang called her that. She felt that familiar yanking of pipes in her chest as she recalled his relationship with his sister. Yang didn't go into detail over anything, but Ruby knew from her half-sisters previous entailments with the opposite gender that meant SOMETHING had happened. "I uh... uhm... I..." She rubbed her head, _'C'mon! Say something! What'd Pops say? Do what comes naturally?_' Ruby then unslung Crescent Rose and pointed it at Anu, "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A MATCH!"

The aloft aggression that blazed in her eyes quickly glazed into frozen panic, when Anu was leaning back and said nothing for several seconds till he quietly asked, "Ihtah?" _'THAT WAS NATURAL_?!' She screamed internally.

". . . Now?" He continued, pointing a hand up. "Actually, do you wish to accompany me? I'm about to head out to Vale for some lunch with a friend." He smiled, rubbed the back of his head, "We can have this match when we get back from this trip today."

Ruby realized she had Crescent still out and quickly put it away and nodded. "Yea, no, sure, okay."

"Um lunch?" Anu asked, trying not to laugh.

She nearly hopped off the spot, "No-thanks-already-ate."

Anu nodded, "Alright, see you later Ruby." Walking past the young hunter.

Ruby nearly collapsed as she walked into her room. She did manage to make her way to the bed before then. When it came to the 'Saint of ARES', as he's been recently called from the stories of Rhaine's revival, Ruby's been pulled in several direction all at once with him. She needed answers about what happened that night, in his mind. Or not strictly 'his' mind.

From what Jackal had hinted at, Anu was actually a Living Memory that he had created, but he's somehow controlling his body. Or that's a possibility. Jackal could be an ass and been lying threw his teeth, and she's been REALLY wanting to believe that last one. She needed answers, but she's also been getting a whole lot of pull away from asking questions that Ruby had the intuition weren't exactly easy to have answered. One of them happened to be that he and sis are dating. 'Eck, that was almost as bad as heart burn.' She didn't want Yang thinking shed be... what was the saying? Rocking the boat? Something like that with Anu just 'cause she and him are an item. She then proceeded to repeatedly bounce her head against her pillow in frustration.

[][]

"Stupid, stupid. . . !" Jaune muttered as he tried hitting the series of targets on his training dummy. It wasn't that he kept slipping up, wasn't fast enough or had the worst hand and foot work imaginable.

"Over!" The dummy chimed in a womanly though robotic voice. "Previous record: Two minutes-Fifty-one seconds. New Record: Two minutes-Forty-three seconds."

Jaune grit his teeth as he yelled out, throwing his sword and shield to the ground and trying to pick up the training device. As he lifted it over his head his eyes nearly bulged as he tipped over and fell on his side. He hissed as he grabbed his side, standing back up and cursing as he kicked it with his foot. "Ow..." He said quietly compared to his previous series of profanities. He hopped up and down, holding his injured foot.

"Jaune."

"Whatever it is I- oh pyhrra." Jaune turned his head to the red head.

The Spartan managed a small smile as she asked, "You okay?"

He shrugged, pulling the dummy back up. "Just glad you're not Nora's sister. That girl gives more lectures then the professors."

Pyrrha chuckled, "She does that because she cares."

Jaune shrugged again, not saying a word as he picked up his weapons and hopped off the barely elevated mat made arena. "So... why're you here?"

Pyrrha gave an annoyed look, "I need a reason to talk to my partner?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't mean it like that, just... never mind. The gang ready to go? Jars ready?"

"Indeed. We're ready when you are." She nodded to him.

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, "Good..."

"Sooo..." Pyrrha asked, finding a subject to break the ice. "How's the training going?"

Jaune gave a passive look at Pyrrha that screamed out, '_Really? You ask me that after that fit_?' She kept to the question though and did seem somewhat oblivious to it. "Not great. Vids and books can only take me so far and well, never good at fighting in the first place."

Pyrrha shrugged, "Maybe there's a hunter that can help? Get some instruction from a swordsman? On vacation or something?"

Jaune sighed, "I don't know... honestly, I really think I've making progress." The sentence tapered off into a question of sorts.

[][[]]]]

"Chick-enn." Anu read off the menu. "Rat-a-too-lee." He flipped one of the massive pages. "Fil-ay-Min-Y-"

Tuscan finally couldn't take it and slammed his menu down on the table. "You gunna speak out the entire thing?"

Anu smiled awkwardly over the object he was reading out loud. "Hehe, sorry." He pointed to a few items. "Don't even know what most of these are."

Tuscan rolled his eyes, stirring the small cup of whiskey in his grasp. "Well then this lunch will be a whole lot more crazy. Just, really Anu, read it to yourself."

The Shira-Kai grimaced and nodded, silently skimming the rest.

"Good to know the books work." Tuscan added after an uncomfortably long silence.

Anu nodded, smiling. "They've been a great help. Thanks again for the next group of tomes."

Tuscan waved a hand, "It ain't trouble. Besides." He flipped a menu page. "You're payin' for lunch." He then heard Anu mutter a lowly, 'Ouch'.

"Hey, it ain't too bad. It's just..." Tuscan started sniffing the air. "Weird. Ya smell that?"

"Hmmm? What?" Anu asked, sounding a bit distracted.

He shrugged, "Maybe someone cut themselves in the kitchen." Tuscan shrugged before he heard the clatter of glass against the pavement. He blinked, looking down at the ground he heard it come from and saw it fell directly under Anu, some blood coated a sharp edged tip.

Anu glanced up when he saw the distress in his companion's features, holding up a hand. "It's alright, I'm fine. Just had a bit of a... ah! A trip, yes, on the way here. Regeneration should take care of it."

Tuscan sighed deeply, "You sure? There's a clinic not a block from here."

Anu nodded, "Yes, yes of course. Not to worry."

Tuscan rolled his eyes again. "You hunters just keep getting crazier, I swear."

Anu puffed a cheek, "You keep moving your eyes like that, they'll get stuck that way, that they will."

Tuscan gave a small chuckle, "Yeah, whatever."

Anu placed the menu down, "Be right back." Hand covering the bloody mark on his side.

Tuscan managed another swig of his sharp drink. Glancing into the eatery and staring at the television. Just the local news, some celebrity being saved from a car accident or something. It then switched to an amateur video from a scroll as it panned from a group of friends to some guy sprinting down a road, sweeping said celebrity off their feet and managing to get smacked by the windshield of an automobile going some miles per hour and rolled over the top of the car.

Tuscan was honestly surprised at the act, poor bastard must be... he squinted at the television, where it zoomed at the duo of saved and savior, standing up after the fierce tumble. Tuscan was able to recognize the damsel, a rich chick that's trying to turn political or something, but that wasn't the worst part. He knew the other one.

"I've returned, has the waiter come?" Anu reopened his menu as he sat back down. Tuscan pushed down Anu's menu, "Ihtah?" He questioned. The Faunus pointed a thumb to the image on the TV.

Anu had suddenly formed a sheen of swear, rubbing his neck. "O-Oh. That." He forced a chuckle.

"Spill." Tuscan demanded.

[][]]]

Thirty minutes ago...

"Ahhh! That's amazing." Anu exclaimed at Fox. "You can sense movement? Sound? Vibrations?"

The hunter nodded, swinging around on his bar stool. "Yes. Things such as air particles and all that, I can feel it move." He held up his cane, "Stuff that don't move though, not too well."

Anu turned his head, giving the cafe' attendee a nod as he placed a glass of chocolate milk in front of him. "This is your Semblance?"

"Na, just born with it." Fox expertly reached out for his cappuccino. "My parents were both different mix breeds of human and Faunus. When people like them get together and make babies, genetics gets... a bit weird." He sipped his drink, "Not that I can blame them. Orphaned."

Anu's eyes widened, "Have they passed?"

Fox shrugged, "Couldn't tell ya." He removed his sunglasses and placed them on the bar counter.

"Hey ya, Foxy bastard." A woman in a strange, half puffed up hat and larger sunglasses, of pale skin and dressed in tones of browns and dulled golds and held a black box of some kind by a handle, walked past Anu and placed her lips against Fox's.

Anu avoided looking directly at the display, feeling a bit embarrassed as blood rushed to his face.

The newcomer finally disengaged and peeked her eyes over her sunglasses to Anu. "No charge."

Anu grimaced uncomfortably, "Ihtah?"

She stood up, taking off her sunglasses and offered him her hand. "Must be Anu, names Coco Abel." He shook it with uncertainty. "Ain't gunna bite kid, you can shake my hand like a man."

Fox laughed, wrapping an arm around her should. "Oh leave him alone." He whispered in her ear, "He's kinda a dunce, go easy on him."

Anu nodded at her, "Y-yes, I'm Anu Ic-"

"Yo! Coco!" A voiced boomed. Anu turned to see a giant of a human wave as he walked towards them, Velvet tarrying behind almost out of sight.

"You must be Anu." As the Shira-Kai offered his hand to him, the titan's fist swallowed his. He then started shaking and squeezing it, and as Anu sputtered in agony, he said, "It's good to know that an incident like last year did not happen. I'm happy to know that your team is in good hands."

"Hand at this rate." Fox laughed.

The CFVY member realized Anu's distress and quickly released him. "I apologize." He bowed at the hip, "I'm still adapting to that greeting. My name is Yatsuhashi Daichi."

Anu laughed, "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He then leant to the giant's side and held up a hand, "Nice to see you again, Velvet."

The Faunus nodded back, "You too."

After the initial banter, they settled, ordered more beverages and finally Anu was asked, "So, you're a breast man?"

He then choked on his chocolate milk, Yatsuhashi's slapping on his back not helping.

"Coco!" Fox chastised.

"What? The thing i heard after the whole 'saint, save, heal' thing was that he was shaking up with the blonde bimbo in the first years." She shrugged.

Anu glared at Coco and declared, "She is no 'bimbo', I'll have you know!" Hands on the table.

"You talk weird." She waved a hand lazily at him, jewelry jingling. "Don't get your panties in a wad, gramps. Was just joking." Leaning back in her chair.

The comment, both of them, made Anu angrier then they should have. "Take heed: do not insult Yang like that in my presence." Glaring daggers at her.

Coco scoffed, "Really want to be barking up this tree?" Sounding more bored then challenging.

Now, that _definitely_ had made him angry, a bit unexpectedly. He instantly connected the comment to his canine heritage and maybe more of Rhaine had rubbed off on him then he thought. Anu bit back the anger though, leaning back in his own seat and sipped at his beverage. After a moment or two, Anu finally asked, "What happened last year?"

Fox blinked, not in his direction parse, but he grimaced and spoke. "Well, White Fang and thugs or something. Sometimes..." He sighed, "Sometimes Hunters aren't lucky. Not sure how it happened but a team we were with lost two members while they were in Vale. The other two went back to their separate Kingdoms and... well, end of that."

There was a shared silence among CFVY, all of them were either looking down or away. "So... yeah. Really bad shit happened. Glad it didn't again."

Anu then felt a stab of guilt in his heart. The attackers weren't local thugs or white fang, they were people looking specifically to kill HIM.

"Oh my god..." Coco leant off her seat and quickly dashed up and walked to the Cafe door. "Guys! C'mere!"

The rest of the party gathered just outside of the portal and saw some gathering at... Anu squinted at the building's letters. "'Weee De-Liver'..." Anus brow sprung up, "That does not sound legal. Or healthy."

Yatsuhashi started a loud belly laugh that made several hairs on Anu's head curl.

"Uhh Coco, what's happening?" Fox managed to tap his way over.

The leader of team CFVY smiled from ear to ear, "Its Halen Wan! She was in _Marty's Hill_, rockstar!"

Anu asked, "Ihtah?"

Fox scoffed, "Don't watch TV."

Velvet asked, "Who's that?"

Yatsuhashi shrugged, "What kind of restaurant is that?"

Coco just wanted to ram her head into the wall but settled on slapping her forehead, nearly dislodging her shades. "She's the chick who was dating a guy who was killed by the Collector a few years back? Trying to use her moola to help find terrorists? Find better security methods? Any of this sound familiar?"

The four shared a near universal shake of the head.

Coco was screaming internally as she stared down her team.

The woman in question looked human, but Anu couldn't get a scent due to a crowed that hovered a small distance away from her as she navigated the people with cameras and are... 'Why are they talking to black sticks?' And besides that, he was in a city, his nostrils picked up so many smells at once he just started ignoring all of them. She was shorter than average, and the only thing he could get a solid pair of eyes on was the top of auburn colored hair.

As she progressed across the street, the swarm of 'totem speakers' (who he will call for the rest of eternity) backed away. This Halen person was carrying two bags of what Anu presumed to be food. Her skin was so pale as to rival Weiss's with grey eyes so dark they may as well be black. As she started the small stature march to a vehicle resting spot not far from the cafe they were currently at.

"Think we should try to say hi?" Yatsuhashi suggested.

Coco shot up, "A-A-Absolutely!"

"She's just lost the crowd, don't think we should replace it." Fox laughed.

Anu stared past her, focusing on an automobile even further down the street. It was driving as normal till a block or so away and just stopped. "Yes... uh I'm with Fox." His Akuma formed as he saw the gassy exhaust gloom out of the back of the vehicle, sensing hostility, the will to kill. "We should definitely..." He started walking past CFVY as the car started to move forward.

The machine started a dash of increasable speed toward the woman. "SKINAH!" Anu yelled as he sprinted forth.

As he drew closer and closer, and the car grew closer still to its quarry, Anu had a single thought. 'Why must these people need me to save then so often?' Before he embraced and shocked the patron and while he was trying to run her out of the direction of the car with him, was not fast enough. He tried pointing his back to the front of the car as the front end nearly lifted them both and something against his side cracked. As they rolled off the top of the car and plummeted to the floor, team CFVY was split into chasing the car and checking on the duo.

Fox and Yatsuhashi were running past other Vale residents as they hunted their target, the crowed turning quickly into a swarm as they gathered to see the incident.

Coco was steady as she knelt by the duo while Velvet was stun shocked.

Halen shakenly pushed herself off of Anu, prone as his eyes scowled in pain. "W-what the hell just happened?" She unsteadily tried to get up but felt a shot of fire crawl her flank and fought back a scream.

Coco moved to the woman after Anu gestured with his hand to leave him.

"Okay ma'am-Miss Wan... you need to stay down. Ambulance is coming."

Anu managed to sit up, reaching into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a ruined Scroll, crushed from the impact. "[Damn...]" Anu stood up. "She is alright?"

Halen gave her savior a look between unbridled awe and an apprehension of fear. "Y-you saved my life!"

Anu shrugged, smiling as his Akuma receded, "It is my job. I'm just sorry I was not fast enough to prevent injury."

As the crowed pushed further and further in, Anu was quickly overcome and desperately, jumped from where he stood over the mass.

"Anu! Where you going?" Velvet yelled.

He didn't answer as he ran down the street. The question didn't reach his ears till a couple streets down. He then grimaced, knowing he owed them an apology. _'Damn it. I hate having little space to move.'_

[][][[[

Now

Tuscan's brow seemed to be permently fixed in a higher position on his face. "Really?"

Anu nodded, "Of course. Cannot lie."

Tuscan started making a hissing sound before he began lagging. "Oh Messiah save me..." He leant his head back and rubbed his forehead. "Guess this'll only get crazier from being friends with a Hunter."

Anu smiled, "Are we friends then?"

Tuscan shrugged, sitting up and smiling. He pointed to his glass, "Get me two more of these, and definitely."

[][[[[]

Beacon

The Barian leader of ARES sighed and rubbed his face as he woke, "Oh man, I feel like shi-"

"RAF?!"

He reached for one of his pistols in the holster at his bed post. "Oh god, don't yell woman." He breathed even deeper as he sat back down in his bed.

Rhaine was pointing at him, "W-W-W-When the hell did you get here?! Were you here all along?!"

Raf sputtered a laugh, "Sure. Whatever." He waved a hand at her.

Rhaine gave a weird squeal/scream, "Fucking bastard! I would shoot you if both my arms were working!"

Raf cursed under his breath, yawning, "What are you talkin' about?" Sitting out of his bed and stretching his arms.

Rhaine gave a curious look, before she huffed and crossed her arms, uh arm. "Never mind."

Raf rose an eyebrow, "Ooookkay." Getting his harnesses ready. "You weren't uh patting the little man in the canoe were ya?"

Rhaine stared, "What?"

"Ya know?" He circled his hand several rotations. "Dialing O on the pink telephone?"

Rhaine suddenly realized his insinuation. "Get out, Barian."

"I mean, that's kinda hot-" Rhaine jumped out of bed and started pushing him to the door. "but doing it with me in the room? That's kinky, even for me!" He laughed until finally his partner shoved him out of the dorm. He turned to face her, "Next time want an audience?" He winked before getting smacked in the nose by the door.

Rhaine smiled proudly as she heard him cuss a plethora.

[][[]

[][][[

"Yes the forest of Forever fall is a place of great beauty, but we are not here to..." Goodwitch explained, guiding the hunters in training to the center of said forest.

Jaune couldn't really keep up with the words as he was carrying the extraction apparatus for what seems like the entire academy. Stopping suddenly as he bumped into the back of some unfortunate soul.

Arce was dreading this entire excursion, from the moment they boarded the airship. A sense of fearful dread, of the moment, the future, slowed his steps and vision.

"Hey, pick your feet up, jackass." Raf ordered Jaune. "This is the fourth time I have gave ya a flat tire."

"Ah, sorry." Jaune replied on autopilot.

"I would have this match here, little Rose." Anu declared to the crimson maiden.

Ruby rubbed her head, "W-we can always fight back at Beacon."

He laughed, "And you would defeat me yet again in combat." He placed a hand on his chin, "I suggest a foot-race."

Ruby stared, a face of confusion as she pointed out. "You do remember my Semblance is going fast right? Not just regular fast, like, REALLY fast."

Anu nodded, smiling smugly from ear to ear, "Of course. I have also noticed that you lack being able to rapidly change directions, which is why we will race through the forest." He smirked, "If you feel you can muster the ability."

Ruby scoffed, "Ohhh no!" Switching into a faux Vacuoian accent, "Thems fightin' words!"

Shora chimed, "We're already a man down, and we need you."

Weiss held a hand up to her, "We're gathering sap from trees. Let the kids have their playtime."

From which Ruby and Anu both declared, "Hey!" Before sharing a contemplative silence between each other before laughing and leaving for a good start mark.

Nora was first to break the silence, "So! Yang and Anu!"

Yang quickly glared at the members of team ARES. 'Anadict Barnolds*. . .' "... Sure?"

Raf then immediately asked, "So you and him an item or are ya open or what?"

Yang rolled her eyes, "Dunno. I'm not worried about making anything solid, we'll just take it day by day. Trying not to freak the guy out."

"You know, if he isn't all for having a physical relationship, don't be afraid to ask for me." Raf commented.

Yang scoffed, "No one's that desperate."

"Ohhhhhhhh!" Nora bansheed. "Burn!"

Blake rubbed her neck at the banter. 'Shit. I don't think he told her.' Asking outright, 'Hey, did he tell ya he was a terrorist?' She settled on, "Did he tell you how old he was?"

Yang rolled her eyes, "Can we talk about something else?" She then looked at her black clad team member, "Na, he kept on avoiding it. Kept saying he was fifty-something."

[][[[

"Okay, just to the edge of the forest and back?" Ruby was stretching her arms.

Anu nodded, "Are there any terms for this distraction or prize for victory?"

Ruby grinned uncomfortably, "C'mon, really, speak normal. I have to put together what you say and it feels like I'm in an old literature class."

Anu blushed, looking away. "I am not old." He shook his head, "Believe me, I try to speak less like I usually do, but adapting these words to my own are... clumsy. Kai-Speak is mired in how many layers it can be spoken, depending on formality, age. Talking Remnatian is more like rolling a stone across a plain, where I'm used to focusing on the landscapes and weather."

Ruby scratched her hair, "Okay, WAAAYY over my head."

Anu smiled and pointed, "I know this one! Means overwhelmed or foreign of idea yes?"

"Yep!" She chirped.

Anu nodded in satisfaction, "So, I shall attempt again:" he coughed into a fist, pondering the words. At first it was pointless, words and meanings not attaching in a way that it would be appropriate to say to Ruby. He then focused on people he knew, how they formed words over the countless conversations he's had with them. Most notable, and most confusing, was Yang. He smiled at Ruby, "What are we gunna win if we win?" The words were mired in his accent, which seemed to increase in thickness as he concentrated more on how he spoke.

Ruby paused a moment before bursting in laughter.

Anu turned crimson, "I have never!" Crossing his arms and pouted, "I attempted my best!"

"I'm sorry! But that was funny!" Ruby was bent over slightly from the expulsions of air.

Anu turned his body away from her, "Name terms, jeerer."

Ruby stood up, "Hey! No name calling!" She then coughed into a tiny fist, "What does that mean?"

Anu turned his head further, "You shall remain unenlightened, little Rose." He was jesting, or tried to look like he was.

"Stop calling me that!" Ruby declared, loud enough it set several birds nearby in flight. "And no 'Rubes' either!"

Anu stared, mouth agape slightly. "I-I-I am sorry. I was joking." He nodded towards her, "I apologize if the names were inappropriate."

Ruby's anger managed to subside, being replaced by embarrassment. "Uh sorry, I'm not sure where that came from." Rubbing her head, turned away from Anu.

Anu grimaced, "I meant the names for familiarity. I feel comfortable with you. If you desire to be called something else-"

"No! Just Ruby, please!" She placed both hands up, "I'm really, _really _sorry about that."

Anu nodded, "As am I." He smiled, "I should attempt more clear jibes of humor." He then chirped, pointing a finger up, "This brings to mind! Jeerer meaning one who mocks another in a harmful, disrespectful way. The words is far removed from the mockery had, thusly, humorous."

Ruby laughed, "Too smart for Academy."

Anu shrugged, braying his lips, "Far from. Don't understand many words in Remnatian that I've been told or read."

"Such as?"

Anu's brow rose in curiosity, "A moment. . ." reaching into the inside of his jacket and pulling out a small journal the size of his palm, flicking to a page. " 'C's yes… comose, chyme, and…" Snapping the book close, "And so on. Many words Blake refuses to inform. Perhaps they are a bit tedious."

Ruby placed a finger on her chin, "Maybe if you win the race, you can ask me whatever you want?"

Anu smiled broadly, "Ah, then I shall work harder for victory. People here are so secretive that it'd make Kings envious."

Ruby smirked deviously, "And if I win, you do the same thing."

Anu grinned, "You needn't place such a bet, you can ask me anything as is."

Ruby's mind suddenly flared back to the dream. She shook her head, 'That's all that was. A dream.' And while she was very curious about asking about it, she settled on the group of questions that she's had in the back of her mind for a while instead. "Yeaaahhh, I don't think you'd like being asked these."

That piqued his curiosity, "Oh? Can you ask one?"

Ruby smiled shyly, "O-okay." She scratched a cheek, "Y-you're a canine Faunus?"

Anu smiled, humored from this path of questioning. "Of a similar sort. I am of Jackal descent."

Ruby smiled as she reached into her belt and quickly pulled out a red sphere. Instantly his eyes were fixed on it, but wasn't sure of its meaning. "What miracle is this?" Smiling, "Why do you carry such an obj-"

She squeezed it and it squeaked loudly, Anu's gaze snapping back to the device. "What is this thing?"

Ruby held back her laughter as she started squeaking it in quick successions, before she knew it, Anu was starting to walk towards the red ball, meekly reaching out for it. She quickly retracted the object just out of grasp, with Anu starting to quicken in his trying to claim it, but Ruby's speed exceeded his by multiples which kept it out of range, if just and even if he was taller. 'No wonder Yang did this so often, this is really fun!'

Anu suddenly stopped and pouted, "Why do you tease me?! Flaunting such a machine and keeping it away from inspection!"

"Oh! There you go with the fancy words, I didn't understand that!" Ruby giggled. Holding it over her head, "Really want it?"

Anu's gaze bore into it, nodding.

"_Reeeeaaaalllly_ want it?" She cooed.

As Anu opened his mouth, Ruby chucked the ball past him. She poorly withheld her laughter as Anu dashed to chase it, giving a series of snorts and . Proceeding several seconds, Anu returned, ball in hand as he grinned guiltlessly and squeaked the toy seven ways to Sunday. "This is oddly satisfying. Must be some kind of human stress relief device." He presented it to its owner, "What is it?"

Ruby smiled, "One of Zwei's toys."

He turned his head curiously, "Zwei? A friend? Sibling?" _'_It would be extremely odd if she lent an item of someone she was in relations with.'

"Kind of a brother." Shrugging as she leant back and forth on her heels and toes. "He's my dog."

"Dog?" Anu recalled the word but couldn't put a picture on it, too distracted by the odd comfort the toy brought. "Dog… dog… do-" He realized, recalling. "The family beasts?"

Ruby nodded, "Was curious if uh Faunus reacted like their… ancestors! Or counter parts! Hey, are animals and Fauns actually related ooorrrr…?" She drawled off as she saw Anu frown.

He comically pouted, "You!" He walked to the tree line, "My dignity shall be restored! This race shall be mine!"

Ruby was worried she offended him, but he quickly winked at her and gave a small smile. She fought the flush of blood and emotions and ran to his side, "Nu uh! Your dignity left with a dogs chew toy!" Getting into a running position next to her adversary.

He narrowed his eyes at her, Ruby replying in kind. "Ready…" He said.

"Get set…" Ruby continued.

"Go!" They both yelled as charged into the sea of red leaves.

[][][

Markus's single eye gazed over the forest of red. "The device has attracted attention then?" Noting little to any Ego presence in the area, a dead giveaway of something worse than plebian Grimm.

Raven slowly nodded, "Know, if sh-" She at first began to threaten, but Markus's mass had instantly appeared in front of her in an instant, looming with his dark red robe and menacing leer. "None will die. Harm will come, though not death." He moved his head, tilting it somewhat, showing a peak of greening copper out of the hood as he spoke, "Our plans must be accelerated. These Demi-Grimm will mature the fruit to ripening." He nodded slowly back to her, "As will everything else we must do."

[][

**End of Chapter**

**[][**

**Sooooo yep!**

**Things are buildin' haha**

**This chapter was gunna be A LOT longer, but cut it in half cause it's been too long ;)**

**To explain, Anu isn't a young man that's trying to sound mature, he's more like an old man that's trying to be young, more so for others then himself. As can be seen when he gets upset he gets a lot more antiquated, saying things like 'I'll have you know', 'take heed', and so on. Extends a bit when he's happy/excited or nervous, liken with Ruby this chapter. And he's also part Grimm, so he can instinctively feel or sense 'negative' emotions. And him being 59? He's actually very young for other Shira-Kai, barely into adult hood but he's both matured quickly due to personal choices plus experiences and he grew up in a very rustic and traditional area of the Shira-Kai domain. He 'grew old instead of grew up', so to say.**

**Raf's gunna start to be the leader ARES needs, tho not the one it wants. Not sure if this character development is clear as I think, he's kinda been exposed to near death and well, no one sane would stay the same. A bit of a wakeup call.**

**Prince, Assassin and all the others are going to be hauling ass for a couple of chapters back home. Kinda like to imagine that if one of his pals would say a word that rhymed with 'leave' he'd bolt even if he was dead tired.**

**Also, and this is a big one, the story for this section and sections after are gunna be getting darker. A LOT darker. Not gunna say in what way, just saying 'cause the story I've devised has made ME irk in the heart, no idea what its gunna do to others XD if you have issues with the story, what I do, characters, like I said, keep it gentlemanly or gentlewomanly or gentle[insert here]ly. PM or reviews are good messages to me.**

**And can you imagine I was gunna initially pair big A with Weiss? No shit! It was actually going to be one of those things where I at first made the Shira-Kai more like noble barbarians instead of pacifistic hypocrites, and Anu (who's title is Tem [god who created Shu and all that], not Priest or Demon and is distinctly more Ancient Egyptian in appearance) is less like he is now and more dominating, greedy, violent/bloodthirsty, but still up to his chin in awkward stuff, who would rather be feared by people he doesn't consider desirable, but still retained his culture's sense of social honor. Where making angry snipes and almost insulting someone was a sign of interest, that one is going out of their way and ignoring manners or rules of conversation in order to get a personal response or a passionate one. Where Anu is actually very polite with almost everyone (including bad guys) but he gets down to disco (so to speak) when Weiss is around. I shelved it, 'cause I didn't think it was as fluid or inflaming of intent on either parties case. Don't get me wrong, I like Weiss a lot but Anu doesn't in this instance XD unless they like angry stuff...**

**. . . (Pondering)**

**Naaaaaaa... welllllll... Naaaaa!**

**...**

**Maaayyyybbbbe ;) x) I've had this urge to also write out my other incarnations of Anu, mostly as single stories of very few chapters.**

**PS. Jaune's role is gunna change drastically in this AU. While I understand he's kinda based on the whole Joan of Arc thing (bloody French) I'm changing his story-focus to something else. Hint: he will be based off of the oldest known Old English poem known thus far.**

**Peace!**


	31. Races, places and unfortunate Choices

Chapter 31

'Please, stop crying.' Anu tried to voice, but started only a restrained coughing fit, the red maiden that was shaking as she embraced him keeping him from convulsing. One hand was stroking her head, the other was placed over the gorged chunk of his missing abdomen. Stopping the bleeding was no longer a concern, he did so to avert Ruby's gaze when she found him.

Anu saw light filtered through the hole of the ceiling of the cave as his neck finally tired out and laid down. He saw that Ruby, while bloodied, wasn't seriously injured. He smiled fondly, recalling the battle that occurred not moments before hand. A child barely a woman, killing such a beast where even he and Goodwitch barely managed the same. He then chuckled, blood he did not know he had left leaving the edge of his mouth.

'Horrible Monsters die...' The hand on her head slowly fell. 'Fair woman lives.' He smiled threw blood caked teeth, "[Good deal]..."

Sound dimmed away, eyes peeked through barely open lids. He heard her shouting, screaming a demand. Silver eyes remeet red, feeling tears fall on his face. 'Ironic.' Recalling tales of how Blood Lotus, even the Gods themselves were felled by weapons of shining silver.

"Anu!"

Anu jolted out of his thoughts as his opponent yelled up to him. "Anu! You getting tired already old man?!"

While he wasn't sure he could get tired like she could, he definitely ached from over abusing what he thought was equitable abilities. He'd fallen behind almost immediately, with environmental obstacles rarely hindering the crimson speed demon. The few instances there was one, he barely managed to stay at pace with her before she started out running him. Anu yelled out between pants, "Nay. Curious... if you partook in too much milk ... and cookies."

'Oh that mother...' She glared angrily at him. "You're gunna eat those words, Priest!" Focusing ahead and somehow kicking up more rose petals with an increase in speed.

'Well. Just stabbed myself in the foot there.' Anu smiled privately. He actively enjoyed this distraction, even if he was losing it. He sensed no Ego signatures beyond those whom he recognized, no scent of predatorial beasts. No blood. A palpable mixed sense of agreement yet disdain filled him at the thought. Anu hopes that time can correct this... urge. Focusing on only this academy and tending to his friends. 'Yes! Maybe attempt to cook local cuisine, try to find a bridged peace with Shora. Homework, sparring. Habits to reform. Curious, perhaps consult with Pyrrha to get Jaune some help, and Yang could-' "Ihtah?" The thought of the blonde forced a momentary miscalculation to his branch hopping, as the tree limb broke under the force he childishly misplaced.

Anu gave a short cry of "Ihhhhtahh?!" as he fell to the ground. Ruby felt the impact threw her feet and as she looked back, saw a plume of dirt and red leaves where he evidently landed. She impishly smiled, 'Hahaha! Loser!' Speeding off without a seconds thought.

Ruby prided herself that she had a peerless control of turning off and on her semblance, when she came across a rotted, downed tree or a cluster of brush, she could tune it down and maneuver, then go full speed without much to worry about.

It did become a bit harder to do when that boulder you're slowing down for moves though.

As Ruby tried jumping over the obstacle, it managed to move up towards her feet, making her fall forward face first into the ground. Since her concentration was on her Semblance, her Aura barely absorbed anything and she smacked her head good, seeing stars.

She wobbly put pushed up with her hands, "W-whoa..." She croaked.

The boulder growled lowly, a line of rumbles so deep as she barely heard it. Ruby managed to glance towards the mass, screaming when she saw black fur and a red, orange glowing eye.

[][][[[

Anu instantly shot up from his small crater on the ground. Digging into his Ego reserves to activate his Akuma, he back flipped off the dirt, feet landing flat against the base of a tree, making it crack under strain as he launched off of it with all his strength, speeding into the forest like a bullet. He hones in on Ruby, scooping up the girl where she had lain and stopping several meters away from where she was.

His eyes widened slightly as he saw the prone Beowulf. Its signature was faint, Ego wise, its fur had fallen out in large clumps, revealing leathery skin beneath. Spots of dark reds and purples were spread over the beast, like cancerous discolorations. "[She has Heart-Plague]." He muttered in Shira-Kai.

"Uhhhh Anu?" The cradled Rose meekly asked, "Can you put me down?"

He did so, keeping an arm on her shoulder when he noticed her legs wobble. His eyes were focused on the Grimm, squinting in confusion. 'A Grimm of this caste? And Heart-Plague? It shouldn't be possible.' He began to walk towards it, Ruby now stable enough to stand.

"Uh! Anu! That's a GRIMM!" Ruby reached to Crescent Rose's holster, missing the first couple of times before she managed to grab it and swing it out, still in gun mode.

Anu was barely a foot away from it. A her it would seem. Anu grimaced, 'So it is true.'

The beasts' eyes focused on this new being standing in front of it. It bore gleaming white teeth as it rumbled a pitiful growl.

"ANU!" Ruby yelled out, unwilling to take a shot while she was this unbalanced and he was so close.

Anu placed a hand against the beast's side, the growl subsiding. It wasn't like a pet, more like an acknowledgment. He could kill her right now if he desired, but will not commit harm unless she willed it. The beast, having some sliver of contentment from the communication, flopped its head to the floor, dirt being tossed up as it breathed painfully threw its nostrils. "[Easy, girl]." He spoke.

He looked back at his human companion, Akuma fading as he smiled. "Come, she won't hurt you."

[][[[][[[

"By golly…" Raf gagged, turning his head away from the jar. "The hell is this stuff?" The jelly like liquid stirred in the glass container, so crimson it was almost pink. "What kind of sap looks like this?"

Shora didn't respond, taking the jar and placing it in the cart with the others. Currently, they had collected five, for each of the team members, and one extra just in case. Shora theorized that they were going to use this sap for some kind of bait to lure out Grimm. Whatever the reason, she knew for a fact that her twin was consuming her body weight in tree sap, bounding from one edge of the clearing to the other. Shora grimaced at recalling the team, notably Jaune missing from the group when they arrived. 'He wanted to be an idiot, seems I couldn't help him.' She decided, no longer keeping the thought in mind, seeing it as a waste of compartmentalization of her time.

"Eck, fucking fuckers and their sweet tooths." Raf cursed, shaking his head and helping Shora with pushing the cart.

"Teeth." Shora corrected, being rewarded by an eye roll from her leader. "How was Rhaine? Was she awake when you were in?"

Raf shrugged, "When I got up from my nap." Running a reassuring touch over a pistol in his jacket.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Shora's eyebrow rose. "You didn't catch her undressing did you?" Shora however knew he probably wouldn't be among the living if such was the case.

Raf didn't even realize he was smiling until she mentioned it, "I am? Huh…" He chuckled, "Well, unfortunately I was unconscious at the time, but seems she was… uh haha…" He waved a hand, "Never mind."

Shora's eyes narrowed suspicious, "What? What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing!" He laughed, "It was nothing."

Shora made a mental note to interrogate Rhaine when they got back. "Must've been something crazy for you not to tell. Not like you." Recalling certain tales where he not only shared extremely intimate and disgusting details, but made the stories incredibly unlikely and extravagant.

"Meh, not really." He rolled a shoulder. "Just valuin' privacy n all." He nodded ahead to team JNPR, "Lets park by 'em for a bit, give ya a rest."

Besides the usual 'how's the weather' chit chat, there was obviously an awkwardness with Ren and Pyrrha. Nora couldn't be happier, face covered in sap.

"So. Where's dickless?" Raf managed to ask after he sent a message to Rhaine with his Scroll.

"I assume you're not talking about John?" Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at the Barian outcast.

"He's with CRDL." Ren sighed.

"Called it." Raf smiled at Shora who rolled her eyes and tossed a silver-lien coin at him.

"What?!" Pyrrha exclaimed, "Is this true?"

Shora nodded, "It is true." She then, to everyone's astonishment and to Raf's personal take on creepy, she smiled a bit. "Your Jaune has no dick."

Raf had to let the moment set in before he busted out laughing. "Holy shit! That was pretty good!" Placing a fist towards her.

She extended her own fist and lightly tapped her leader's, smiling a little broader.

Pyrrha ground her teeth at the two members of ARES. Aa her face reddened with anger and was close to giving a retort, Nora burst forth from a nearby brush, covered in purple syrup. "Do you guys hear that? Sounds like bzzz! bzzz! bzzzzzz! Shora, do ya know any animals that do that? It sounds angry."

"UHHH! Scatter!" Dove declared as he sped down a hill, a group of insects following him.

"Holy God! This really hurts!"

"AHHHH! Fuck!"

Sky and Russel repeating their teammate and running in different directions.

Pyrrha's eyes widened in terror when she heard the roar of a Grimm coming from the elevated spot of land, deploying her weapons and sprinting to save her leader.

[][][]

"A-Anu... it's a Grimm." Ruby didn't lower her weapon as she approached closer to her friend's side.

"No. It's a dying Grimm." He shook his head, gently patting the Beowulf side. The shira-kai felt an odd tug at his heart from the act. Recalling his father, mother and aunt. Who weren't really any of those things beyond bond. He was maybe more closely related to the beasts he was trained to kill then any member of his family. He sighed, "She has Heart-Plague. See the discolorations? The degrading muscle mass? Hair loss?"

Ruby eyed him and the Grimm, "She's sick? Grimm can GET sick?"

He shook his head again, "Not in yo- not in the traditional sense. Grimm, when they're old enough, smart enough, do form emotions." He removed his hand from the beast, gripping a lock of his hair, "Some emotions can have a profound, aggravating effect on the Ego within such creatures who depend on the force to keep the form of their very bodies. This, if strong enough in emotion such as sorrow or melancholy, can be lethal, starting a degenerative effect that will slowly and painfully end its life."

Ruby blinked, eyes furrowed in anger towards the thing. The thing that dared... she didn't know what. "Good." Ruby muttered lowly.

Anu's eyes widened just a margin, "It is odd that she has it at all. She isn't old enough to have such powerful feelings." He placed a finger on his chin, "Unless..." 'Maybe it once had a brood? Hell, maybe this Grimm was its Matriarch and said group had perished somehow.' He doubted a Grimm could feel it, but he couldn't think of another reason why Heart-Plague would exist in this lowly creature.

Anu turned and walked a pace saying, "We should leave. She won't hu-" and was cut off when Ruby shot the beast's head, blood spraying some on his hand and sides, even reach his face. "That was not necessary!" He almost yelled, mouth and eyes agape in shock.

Ruby shrugged, slinging Crescent back into its cradle, eyes avoiding his. "It was a Grimm. I don't care what's necessary." Looking him dead in the eye as she said, "Kill them all."

The last statement shook him more them she could realize. He believed her to be... well, a child. Skilled beyond her years, but she reminded him too much of his youngest sister, Jhanni. The words in her sentence carried hatred the like he hasn't contemplated since, well, himself. It was a bizarre mixed image, he saw the child, giggling insistently at his own moronic mistakes, eating cookies and milk like they were the food of the gods, with her loving sister. Then. He saw that she would wade and bathe in the river of bloody anger, to cool her rage. He instantly connected to the reason, when he thought back to their experience with teaching Living Memory. Summer Rose.

His eyes briefly closed, unwilling to ask but infinitely curious as to the exact reasons she perished. 'Was she devoured? Did she die from wounds from battle later?' To the Shira-Kai, to be eaten by Grimm upon one's death is to have your soul taken and sent to the beast's stomach. They absorb a massive portion of Ego from blood and flesh, more so from pain and death. Anu's remorse turned to a mix of fear and sympathy for the crimson maiden. He understood her, maybe more then she can understand herself currently. Her hatred was cold, as his once was after the Uprising, but could be and was set aside. And fear... almost a sliver terror in worry if she ever discovered what he was.

"Hey! Don't think about the Grimm anymore! We gotta a race to finish!" She smiled back at him, raising a hand.

'But the anger isn't all that she is.' He forced a small smile, wiping his face of the blood, slightly running to where she was. "Why didn't ya leave?"

"Wanted to give ya a fair start and a breather. Looked like you were struggling." She winked at him.

He blushed slightly, "C-come now, do not tease me." Looking down, his foot in an engorged print from an animal. 'Wait...' He removed it, seeing it was only a segment. The print was a lot bigger. A LOT bigger. 'It's like that... that sizeable beast? From that book? It was ancient? Extinct? Began with a 'D'?' He thought.

"This print is as big as a Diosaur's." Anu stated out loud, causing Ruby to sputter in a small laugh.

"What?!"

Anu squinted at it, 'It can't be...' He manifested his Akuma. The prints had a residual Ego scent. No more powerful than the Beowulf, but it was impossible for it to encompass the entire print perfectly. Also, a beast this large, he would've known about it or at the very least heard of it. His eyes widened, 'A dampened Ego signature? That only means...' "Ruby..." He stated direly, "We need to get back, we need to get the others and leave RIGHT NOW."

Ruby chuckled, "Chickening out?"

He glared at her, his Akuma making his gaze that much more intimating. "This is dire. A very strong Grimm is near here." Ruby was close to suggesting that they begin a hunt for it, but was cut off by her supposed quarry.

Whether it knew its presence had been discovered, or was fed up with waiting, it roared out of its Cloaking Field like a throng of enraged lions. Anu's face took a tone of horror as he calculated that it wasn't half a kilometer away from where they stood.

"RUBY! RUN BACK NOW!" Anu ordered, deploying Thoth and taking an attack posture. "Get the vehicles ready and tell Goodwitch!"

She hesitated, "Anu...!" She tried to find a reason, anything then to abandon him.

"Go! Now!" He was half tempted to throw her back to where they came but withheld as he reached for his Scroll. He did not bring Thoth in the hopes that this excursion would have only the most minor of adversaries. He cursed the gods further as he pulled out only a hunk of junk, totaled by his trip to Vale this morning. He wouldn't be able to send the signal to his locker at Beacon.

The only tools at his disposal are his hands, knives and Shu. The last he was hesitant to use for more than one reason. She hasn't spoken to him in weeks, and he was afraid that if he did use her to the fullest, it would take another three years to sheathe once more, if it was even possible.

"We can take him!" Ruby unslung Crescent Rose.

Anu's eyes were affix of panic and terror. 'No. We cannot.' He turned his gaze towards the crimson maiden and said quietly, "Ruby..." Regaining her attention. She felt... Funny when they made eye contact, not the usual kind of funny either. She couldn't quite explain it but she places Crescent back and started running towards the group while she mentally lashed out, trying to resume her own body from this action. It was odd seeing your body move as a passenger only, the colors seemed more dazed, greyed out and lacking color, and the harder she focused she heard her own heartbeat, and harder than that, she saw a line of red like a stream of mist leading somewhere behind her.

[][][]

Anu dropped onto his hands and knees as his eyes widened in shock and strain. Tears of blood had begun streaming, with a trickle leaving his lips as he tried to refocus. 'What... is this?' At first, when his illusionary skills hit that first wall, he knew that it was a Hunter's superior willpower that he had to overcome. This one was superior even to such Hunters that have lived for many moons more than Ruby. What he never felt was what in the hell came after. It felt like... dissolution of his Ego as his own will drove home his instructions. Acid, fire and weakness all combined into a heinous moment. Even now it affected him, feeling his muscles strain and nerves pinch in pain from the pressure he had to force. He closed his eyes, growling as he shook his head, embracing the pain.

He unslung Shu, holding her by the sheathed blade and holding a knife in the opposite hand. His Akuma, though weakened, spotted the encroaching enemy threw the foliage, its Ego radiating like a sun. He felt a nervous trickle of sweat crawl down the side of his face, smiling privately. "Et'un Doos-dae.*"

[][]

"Woof... mating season? Ya guys hear that? Someone's being a ball buster out there!" Raf laughed a little too much at the loud, animal groaning coming from the forest.

Shora furrowed her brow, "Shouldn't be. This ecosystem doesn't have any animals that give birth this close to winter."

Blake eyed Shora suspiciously, "How... do you know that?"

Shora looked up at the Fau- she meant brunette. "Reading." She shrugged, "And deduction." She looked back down at her Scroll, pointing a thumb at Yang. "She's here, Anu's out there. So it isn't them."

Nora and Raf started a small bout of chuckling as Yang rolled her eyes, walked up to Shora and said in a very clip and analytical voice. "Excuse me, I suggest you go obtain some cactuses and proceed to fornicate with yourself."

Shora didn't look up at the blonde as she retorted, "Cacti."

Yang's eyes briefly turned red, glaring down at the Valkyrie. The sudden urge to punch something and she's a little too close.

"Hell yeah!" Raf laugh dying down as he came over to a certain, now blooded blue eyed swordsman. "Motherfucking things out there got a heated when this sonbitch's balls finally dropped." Slapping Jaune's back and smiling broadly.

Said man blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Uhhh thanks?"

Raf wrapped his arm around his neck and brayed his lips. "Ya got it man. Decapitating an Ursa? And taking a punch from Cardin and made him his little bitch? Brother? I'm in your goddamn fan club." Squeezing him tighter.

Pyrrha smiled continually at the displayed, staying happily silent since the incident ended. She then turned her head at CRDL, sitting in a small circle in front of Professor Goodwitch, the wasp stingers getting pried out by her Semblance, maybe a bit too slow for Pyrrha to believe that she was having difficulty. A small, fairly reliable and immature part of her mind screamed out as she screamed in sadistic glee, 'MUWHAHAHA, THAT IS FOR HURTING JAUNE! BE IT A MERE TASTE IN THE CASE YOU ATTEMPT AGAIN!' Amidst a field of volcanoes and ash covered bones.

"Ruby! Hey Ruby!" Weiss yelled out, the red reaper running out of the forest in a path of rose petals. Said heiress was laying against the base of a tree, waving a hand lazily as she gripped in her other a water canteen. "Where's Anu? Did you win?" She smiled at her partner, sleepiness clinging to her eyes as she yawned.

Ruby stopped near Weiss, the member of team RWBY wiping away rose petals as they suddenly rushed in front of her and began falling on her face and neck. The leader of the team, dully slumped forward slightly, her eyes focusing on a specific patch of dirt and her arms hung numbly from shoulder.

"Hello? Ruby?" Weiss quickly got up from her shady spot and walked in front of her. Waving a hand in front of her face, giving a thousand-yard stare. "Helllllooo?" She blinked, concern leaking to her face. She gripped Ruby's shoulders and sternly shook her. "RUBY!"

The Rose was awakened from her stupor and she blinked rapidly and yelled out, "NO MORE SALAD!" In fright. The nightmare was quickly replaced by panic, her memories and the instructions that Anu had placed in her mind going off like clockwork. She gripped Weiss's own shoulders. "ANU! GRIMM! Uhhhh [City-Eater]!"

Weiss stared at her. "What?"

Ruby shook her head, "He needs help! The Grimm! Uhhh bad! Super bad! This kind..." The word or name echoed in her head, like a bunch of sounds that carried no true meaning but had horror that seemed firsthand somehow. "Haven't been found yet! Couldn't be! Too old! Not possible!" She quickly regained herself and her eyes shrunk, leaving plates of white as she looked worriedly at her pale partner. "WE NEED TO HELP HIM! HE'S OUT THERE BY HIMSELF!"

[][[[

A deep, bone rattling roar resounded once more as the beast managed to land a hit on its prey. The blow shattered a row of trees not only from the being in question being thrown into them, but from the force of the attack.

Anu couldn't twist his body as he was onslaught by the air-boom attack. When his momentum finally died down, he placed a hand on the side of a fallen, white tree trunk as he stood up. Blood erupted from a dozen pours, his regeneration closing only half of that. 'Whatever has affected me, its burning away my Ego like dry leaves in a fire pit.' He wiped a forearm across his blood covered forehead. "[If I must pass this day...]." He sighed, fingers digging into the tree trunk. As he sensed the mass of his enemy approach, he yelled out and threw the piece of wood at the creature.

As a claw shattered the trunk of wood, he dashed threw the storm of splinters, pointing his dull weapon at an enraged eye. Burning red blood sprayed outwards from the wound, the Io-Kai* screaming in poorly controlled pain.

Anu leapt before it retaliated, twisting his body to face his adversary, confident in how his wounds now recovered.

The [City-Eater] caste of Grimm, a bad year's harvest away from becoming a god incarnate. It was taller then the red trees, a fair portion of his fur-covered neck making up for its height. A five-fingered hand gripped its eye, as its maw, a row of needle like teeth, unhinged as it squealed. Its nose was on the sides, its eyes, chameleon like and moved disgustingly. It had a long, spindly tail, as burly and tough looking as its neck and chest. The body, long yet, obscured, uncertain where its heart, its weakness lay amidst its three pairs of legs.

Its glare returned to its enemy, releasing his wound as it closed.

Anu's tongue managed to drag along the side of his mouth, claiming some of the beast's blood for his own as he quietly invited, "[Come on]."

The beast crushed down its front two legs in challenge as it roared, charging at Anu like a bullet. Nothing so big should move so fast. Anu clenched his teeth so hard he felt a mauler crack from the strain, twisting past its maw and series of legs as he swung up a knife and dragged it along a side of its belly. He didn't make it half way through, barely penetrating the beasts iron hide, thicker than his own, as one of its legs 'feet' clenched into a fist and punched at him from his flank, sending him into the trees side hard enough to bounce off its surface.

Anu's own physical resilience to blunt force couldn't even resist the sheer power of the strike, a rib cracking and he felt something only his right side pop into a blossom of agony.

He cursed as he limply was drifting in air, numb from the pain for an instant before he snapped back to the waking world and swung his leg back, pushing again its opposing limb as it missed its attempt to slam him into the ground, dashing away. The new, torn clearing of the forest couldn't offer a clear land and his hand was bit into the spear like splintering's of a trunk. He cringed, panting in a mix of discomfort and wavering endurance. He scoffed and shook his head, smirking. 'Strange.' He chuckled, 'Haven't felt fear like this in ages...' He held the withheld Shu with both hands on the sword grip as one would when brandishing a drawn blade.

He could tell that he would not win the battle at this rate, he was suffering too much damage too quickly. "[Come then]!" He challenged, "[Let's see who can chop the other into meat first]!"

It swiped one of its claws, the air quickly ribboning into a tight stream that whipped like a series of light streams. Anu jumped sideways, seeing as the flora that was behind him being diced into five different sections from the Ego attack.

He would have thrown another series of knives, if said sections of foliage didn't fly out, driving by some force and striking the beast, throwing it back.

Anu blinked, scanning his environment as he landed. He paused forcing fiving a small smile, seeing a white clad figure strutting out of the recently carved tree line, brandishing a riding crop. She gave him only a glance before waving her weapon, the countless splinters floating off the ground, flying a pace behind her and forming a massive spike. "The Bullfrog has been called. We either kill it, or stop it long enough for it to get them out." She managed to explain.

Anu's chest felt infinitely more free, knowing that they were soon to be secured. He laughed back, "What was the reason of your tardiness? It is rude to keep your elders waiting."

She glared for a moment before shrugging, "Hardly." Throwing her crop forward.

[][[[[[[]]]]]

"No! I am not leaving!" Yang declared, eyes red and flames beginning to radiate as she shoved Pyrrha away from her, trying to physically 'escort' her away towards the landing site and denying her rapid travel. "I'm going out there and finding 'em!"

Shora hissed, "Goodwitch is an actual Huntress, to ignore her orders is idiotic!" Quickly standing back up and again grabbing the blondes arm. "We are not prepared for this!"

"Fuck preparation! If you don't let me go, you're going to be sorry!" Yang declared, feeling that temper reach a high that hasn't been reached in a long time.

When the Spartan managed a single syllable, Yang threw her elbow back, pushing the hand back but also hitting her nose with her Aura down. While the redhead was far from unresilient, Yang's angry elbow to the face managed to kick her back enough to lose her footing and trip. She grabbed her nostrils in a vice to stop the flow of blood.

Several other team members noticed the dissertation, some approaching. "Hey! What the hell?!" Raf demanded.

"Stay outta this, man." Yang's glare was scolding, "I am going to get Anu and Goodwitch. You guys stay here."

Shora walked past her leader, "I am coming with you." Nodding to the Xiao Long.

"Whoa now! For the smart one, this sounds really du-!" Shora turned him around with a push, taking the Grappler from his back, she then took off her jacket revealing her sleeveless shirt, piercing the clothing with the harpoon layer over layer in a pattern when she finished made it appear more like a crude tent.

"I say they maybe some clicks that way." Shora pointed thirty degrees to her left. "It'll be a good star-"

She was interrupted as Yang yelled out in panic, eyes no longer tempered in anger, but a lilac tinted panic. "RUBY!"

Shora managed to see a row of petals enter the forest.

Shora and Yang acted immediately, with Yang launching up and forward from her controlled explosives, Shora's modified Grappler turned into an able glider, using her wind tunnel to propel forward, even with her Aura enhance strength, she could barely hold onto the device.

[][\\]

"Even without two limbs..." Glynda pushed her glasses up her nose, ignoring the torn fabric of a sleeve. "It is still quite he monster."

"Aim for its heart." Anu ran a hand over his mouth after spitting some blood to the ground. "Or cut off its head."

Glynda eyed him for a moment, "Confront him in close quarters. It seems to get distracted easily..."

Said beast, Purahna as Anu named it, limped as two of its front limbs slowly regenerated. A strike of hateful sympathy waved across Anu, as he recognized that he was now as he was in the beginning of this fight. Anu, now on the other hand...

He kept a hand on the bottom of his left ribcage. Still bleeding, his Akuma long gone and worn, and his limbs had begun to shake from stress. He doubted it was the attrition of battling this beast, believing it to be a continuous wearing down from what thing had affected him. It was getting worse.

Anu huffed, "Agreed. I will open the monster to attack, you will strike him?"

Glynda quirked an eyebrow, "I'll try not to hit you."

"Humor does not become you, brother killer."

Glynda had for a moment, the look of outrage. 'Ohhh you son of a bitch...'

"Go!" Anu yelled, dashing forward and beginning his rapid attack on Purahna. When he attacked one side, he barely managed to dodged and fling to the other, making the beast lash out and attack wildly.

While, Glynda was gathering another 'splinter attack' having a piecing tip so thin that she was doubting she would have been able to do it before.

"Anu!"

The unfortunate truth being, Anu knew that it would chase if he tried to disengage. 'Oh gods this is going to last a while...' Anu stopped moving, easily exposed to attack from the beast's head.

Purahna snapped its jaws forward, Anu holding his arms out of his sides. He yelled out, some of its spear like teeth meeting his shoulders, cutting into his abdomen, biting into legs. He was glad that the creature's teeth weren't uniform. "NOW!" He yelled out.

The only view he had was Purahna's smelly chasm of a throat, but he knew she struck home when the beast weakly cried out, bits of saliva and bile flying into his face and chest, it grew weak until it was a pathetic wine. Anu grunted, pushing the jaws further apart and jumping out.

His knees wobbled weakly when he landed, panting. "Got..." He coughed, "Do you have a morsel I may borrow?" Smiling back at Glynda.

She scoffed, "It'd be a waste, you look as if you may fall over dead any second now."

"I'm sure you'd mourn my passing only a moment presently." He smiled, trying to walk. "Could you mayhaps get the vehicle to pick us up here? Wouldn't wish you to tarnish your clothing further."

He managed to look back to the Grimm, already, parts were turning to ash and scattering into the wind. "Do we have what we came for?" He groaned as he stretched his back, wiping lines of blood away from his eyes.

"More then. Imagine if this came into a populated area. The causalities would've been enormous." Glynda shook her head. "Frankly, glad we were out here when we were."

"But this is impossible..." He gestured to the decomposing Grimm. "I would have FELT the thing become what it was half a world away."

"Really? I doubt that." Glynda deadpanned.

Anu grimaced, rubbing a sore spot on his gut that he didn't know was a wound and cringed. "This doesn't make sense..." He sighed. "Have you ever fought a Grimm like this? Can someone like you even comprehend the centuries of mayhem needed to cultivate this caste? You. Would have. Known."

"Does it matter? Its dead." She scoffed, "We should get back to the landing zone. Students must know tha-"

"Hey! Hey!" Ruby exclaimed, running into the carved part of the forest. This was her third lap here, the fatigue beginning to wear her down. "Ahhhh..." She tied to regain her breath, planting Crescent Rose into the earth and leaning on it. "S-sorry I'm late..." She looked at Anu, appearing as if he had been shoved threw a meat grinder. "Oh my god! What?! How...?! How are you still walking?"

"With great care." He cringed as he chuckled. "I'm sorry for using the Akuma on you..." He frowned.

Ruby puffed her cheeks, walking over to Anu. She stood in front of him, staring at his face with this adorable, humorously adolescent pout. Anu looked away from her, feeling a tinge on his face and hoping that there was not enough blood left in his body for that particular function. 'C-cute!'

"You wouldn't have looked like this if I had stayed!" She placed a finger on his chest, making him shirk back from the pressure slightly. Feeling slightly redeemed from the effect her face deflated and looked away. "Don't you ever, EVER do that again!"

Anu smiled, "So I swear." He then rushed a hand forward, grabbed a cheek and pulled harshly. Giving an annoyed scowl as she yipped and he calmly stated, "Girl, if I say you can not survive a Grimm and to run, you should listen to me. If I command you to abandon me once more, you will not hesitate." He seethed.

"Ahh! Ouch! What are you?! Some old grandma?!"

"I. Am. Not. Old." Grabbing her other cheek and pulling, making her squeal comically.

Glynda watched with disbelief as he wrangled her to the ground with only her cheeks and she cried out, "Sorry! Really sorry!"

"Hey! Get off of my sister!" Before Anu could register the response, he was tackled to the ground and put into a headlock. Yang laughed, "Whatcha doin'?"

Anu sighed as Yang released her grip. "Dying." But then he saw Yang's breast and midriff out of the corner of his eye. 'Dying the right way...' He thought to himself.

She then pulled him up, Ruby looking to the Professor, "Can we go home then?"

Shora landed not too far away, noting the decomposing Grimm. "Seems we weren't needed..." Shora stated. She paced up to Anu, looking him up and down.

The man in question was actually nervous of her, due to her knowledge of him. But she rested on staring at his face and saying, "You look terrible."

Anu quirked his head, "It has been a busy afternoon."

Shora finally smiled and started a laugh that couldn't even be heard as a chuckle. "We better get you home to clean up then." She then pointed her chin at Yang, "Unless she wants to lick you clean here."

Yang's fire reemerged, "Fuck you, Daisy!"

Ruby, Anu and Glynda all thought in synch, 'Daisy?'

[[[[[[]]]

"We should be back at Beacon within the hour. Several Hunters have been recalled and sent to the area to investigate." Glynda explained to Ozpin over her scroll.

She looked more tired than usual, noting the small discoloration under his eyes. He nodded, face a mix of passive yet relieved. "Good, good. Any injuries?"

Glynda thought of mentioning her unlikely comrade but continued saying, "Nothing of note."

"Excellent. Get back ASAP. God knows that venturing for tree sap is as dangerous venture as they come." He smirked. "Ozpin out."

CRDN and half of JNPR were already stowed in, the former being humorously bloated from the wasp's irritating venom, smelling as sweet as the sap that was being gathered, ready to go home, as many were.

"Please, I assure you, it's not termite." Anu sighed from yet another Hunter asking why he looked like Grimm were using him as their own personal dog toy.

"Terminal." Shora corrected plainly.

"Terminal! I mean terminal! Not that!" Anu corrected quickly.

As soon as Raf finished his bout of eye rolling, he slid his hands in his pockets. "So next catastrophe please? I'm sick of waiting for the next one already." Pulling a hand out of one pocket, stick of tobacco wrapped in lemon juice soaked paper and placing it between his lips. "Seriously though, your ass is cursed." He pointed at Anu, taking a Fire-Dust magazine and rubbing the end of the cigar rete with it, lighting it.

"No argument." Anu leant a bit more on Shora, said woman's jacket, torn, under his right arm. Another unnatural wave of fatigue visited him, in lue of his minimal healing ability using anything to repair his body. He presumed that it would be burning threw his calories, fat, anything that was not immediately required to live. "Glad it is me and not you. Wouldn't want to watch you attempt to charm into the pants of a [City-Eater] for your life or another's."

The comment bugged an already annoyed Raf, blowing a bit of smoke out of his mouth, not sure how much was the tabac or steam. "Fuck you, Anu." He spat.

Said Shira-Kai looked shocked at the insult. "Pray, what has transpired? What'd I do wrong?" Before being shooed away by Shora towards the transport.

"Don't worry about it. He's been acting really weird today. Probably not you that got him angry." Shora explained, looking up at Anu as she adjusted his arm over her shoulder. "Get ready to get off. A nice sitting, then a hospital visit is in your future."

"No hospitals. Just rest. Lots of food please." He smiled at her, "Bloody steaks and chocolate ice cream in the future, my dear seer."

[[][][][][]]]]]]]

"Well, that was fairly easy." Markus shrugged as he sat on a hill overlooking the drop site.

"Alright, round two!" Raven smiled with just a hint of glee. "If he dies, you leave right?"

Markus's red eye stared back at woman a moment before he continued his observation. "Such was our pact."

"Welllll… ya made a shit deal. He looks like he's gunna flop over from a grasshopper attack."

[][][][[[[[[]]][

Anu's phantom ears quirked on top of his head, making him stand up straighter as he quickly looked around the clearing, barely steps away from the respite in the belly of the Bull-Frog.

"What's wrong?" Shora asked, a tone of concern disturbing the usual calm of his partner.

Anu retrieved his arm from his companion, turning around and grudgingly forced his Akuma to return, feeling knives scrape and stab at the back of his eyes, neck and chest, a single eye beginning to fill with blood. Anu's mouth opened as he stared west of his position, Akuma quickly receding. "Get everyone to the ship!"

"W-what?! Wh-?" Shora blinked before Anu unhooked the sword from its bandolier, dropping Shora's jacket on the floor.

"Get on the ship! THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!" Holding Shu prepared, in time for Shora to see some birds flying off in a line, the tops of the nearest trees rumbling, moving from side to side.

Anu didn't, or couldn't, pay attention to the commotion as he tried to scrap together every bit of Ego he could manage for one last bout. Planting Shu into the leaf covered earth, he began a series of breaths, coming to terms that this is the moment he has dreaded for almost half a decade. He would wield the Murderer's Gleam once more.

Not too soon, this varien of [City-Eater] bursted threw the white and red foliage of the forest. This one was by far smaller than Purahna, but still tall compared to him. It was as tall as one of the Pale Ape's from the homeland, but its bulk was replaced with a skeletal frame, with what looked like two pairs of long, spindly arms and dagger like claws. Its chest was narrow and boney like a malformed ribcage, giving a starved impression of an undoubtedly well fed beast. Long neck from narrow shoulders held up a blocky head, four eyes, one pair over the other, leading to spinney tail like appendages dangling off the back of its head, the head tails ending in barbs and spikey protrusions. When it spotted the group of hunters-to-be, it opened its mouth, revealing a mouth of mauler dull teeth, drool leaving the orifice as its scream, disturbingly sounding like a child or woman's deformed into a demonic roar as it passed in length.

Shu irked only slightly as he began to pull her out of the sheath, the orange and black covering of the blade flaking off, crumbling like shattered stone. What Anu presented as the now freed sword was a blade that seemed covered in a creature's life fluids, the metal warping like a surface of water being disturbed by a rain storm, the edge seemed like it was made of red and white light, as if it was so sharp that the naked eye could not perceive it.

Anu placed himself in a defensive fighting stance, two hands on the blade, behind him, preparing for the onslaught. Anu forced the scrap of Ego to burst at the Grimm, Flatooth, hoping to whet its curiosity in only him, taking the focus away from his colleagues.

Anu grit his teeth, feet and knees shaking, the sword wobbling as if all strength was suddenly gone. His eyes focused on Shu with a mix of hatred and outright fear. While he knew she could select her user, denying any who would wield her, she was now draining him of the last of his Ego, a defense mechanism he knew she only used on a specific kind of person, whom she detested, above all others. Humans.

This treachery assured him he would not use her again, lest she drain him till he slept like the other humans that have attempted to use Shu. If she would stop there.

Sound dulled as the beast's charge bent rows of trees behind it, its dash an ungodly speed as it sped to the Shira-Kai.

Anu regained his stance as he focused with all his will into this one last attack.

He avoided the swipe of a claw as he cleaved Shu down at its head, the swipe cutting the already tested flora from their trunks.

Time stilled, Anu thinking 'Finally! Victory! Time to go…' He vomited blood, looking down and seeing two pairs of arms, diced from their stumps on the floor, one of the opposing sets knuckle deep in his gut. Anu was not sure if Flatooth felt no pain, or was so much more intoxicated by the meal literally in hand.

As it slowly brought its mouth down to his neck, a bullet tore into one of its eyes, forcing a surprised screech.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" He heard Ruby command, several bullets bit into its torso, teasingly close to the center of its chest.

Anu gasped as he felt the claw dig in, feeling a blinding, sharp, wet breach on his beck as its digit proceeded went up in his chest area, a lung tearing and hemorrhaging as pain shattered what was left of his focus shattered like brittle glass and he yelled out in pain as Flatooth began charging threw the forest, carrying him with.

An internment amount of time passed as Anu's mind drifted in and out of consciousness, until he felt a grimy, earthy floor shake and shatter, falling into a shallow pool of water.

Anu, now shockingly aware, quickly hopped out of the caverns watery embrace, taking his last knife and charging at Flatooth without a moment's thought. The beast, more bewildered then he, didn't register him until a knife cut free a single eye from its boney, blocky head, to where it swiped a hand and threw him to ground, feeling a new kind of agony as stone shattered, a small tip of stalagmite entering his lower waist.

The Shira-Kai's discipline was gone, all that remained was instinct as he took the destroyed organ and began to devour it hastily. He did it before he consciously registered he had committed it, disgust was stomped out as he felt the wound on his stomach begin to close and heal.

Flatooth hissed as it strafed across the tavern, reevaluating its renewed foe, brandishing a single knife.

"[Come]! [Come]! [I do not have all eve]!" Anu muttered, wearily motioning with his free hand.

With a flash of scaly black hide and white bone, the knife was ripped from his hand as a talon dragged across his arm, bone visible. Its opposing hand gripped his leg as it lifted him up and slammed him back into the pool.

He managed a single cough before Flatooth jumped ontop of him, and slammed its maw against the left side of his chest, he screamed as its teeth dug in and its neck snapped back, a sound like snapping bones and chunky meat being smacked against power teeth echoed in the cavern. Anu yelled out at first, but as it continued to dig, he lost the last remainder of strength he had.

"NO!" A woman screamed.

The burning sensation returned, the acid like presence that had affected him after his Akuma use with Ruby, but could only lightly groan. Flatooth wailed, gripping its head as Anu saw its three eyes being to bleed.

[][][][

Ruby swung Crescent in a well-practiced pattern as she fell into the cave, cutting off one of its arms as it reeled from her arrival. The other hand clawed forward with a screech, cutting Ruby as it threw her across the area, but catching a pillar with her weapon and swinging around and catapulting herself back into the fray, cutting into one of its legs. Hoping over another swipe, she sped to its side and cut its last arm off from the shoulder, before jumping up, flicking Crescent's blade straight, and stabbing into its chest. It gave one last womanly scream before it finally stilled.

Ruby panted, gripping a hand over her open wound on her upper arm. "A-Anu?" She called out.

She heard a grunt in response, making her beeline towards its origin and instantly feeling tears well in her eyes. Anu dragged himself out of the water, into a shallower area, a chunk missing of his lower chest with broken ribs fully visible. He manages to keep his now useless hand over the wound when he saw her face, forcing the meekest smile he could. "Good… job."

Ruby abandoned Crescent in the Grimm's cadaver, kneeling at Anu's side, hands shaking in both terror and looking for anyways to help him, seeing none. "A-Anu…"

He continued his smile as he reached with his other hand, wiping a tearful cheek, but idiotically replacing it with a line of his life fluids. "It's alright, it's alright, alright…" He repeated numbly. "The others… okay?"

She snorted, stifling snot from running out of her nose and nodded. "Uh-huh…"

He then moved his gaze to her wounded arm, holding her wrist. "It…" He coughed, "Looks bad. Maybe two weeks of heali…" He looked like he was going to doze off right there before she pushed his hand away and began to straddle him with a hug.

"I-I'm so sorry…." She wept into his neck. "God… please…. _Please_…"

'Please, stop crying.' Anu tried to voice, but started only a restrained coughing fit, the red maiden that was shaking as she embraced him keeping him from convulsing.

[][][[]]]

Shora, sweat covered and panting like a dog found the hole in the ground that the trio she sought. She was being followed by a number of others, but she wasn't sure who. She spotted the crimson clad maiden atop of her partner and assumed the worst, her face visibly drooping before she shook it off and jumped down, running to Ruby. "Get off of him…" She reached for one of her arms, but she swiped her away and sobbed. "I need to see if there's any-" Not seeing her respond coherently, Shora literally kicked her off, pushing her into the pool as she began to feel for pulse, ignoring the dead look of his barely opened eyes. "How long?" She asked Ruby, whom stared numbly at nowhere. "How long!?" She demanded, shaking her out of her dream.

"Uhuuhuhuh! I don't know! Seconds!?"

Shora cut his Peasant Shirt open with Trickster, starting CPR procedures, making sure his airways were open and she was pushing down hard enough. Counting in her head, doing this pattern for several sessions with no response.

She stopped and leant on Anu in a mix of mortification and exhaustion, keeping a hand over his eyes. She tried to say something to get herself back in line, but mumbled out pointless noise where words would be. Shora tried every mental excises, get a coherent head in order to do something next, but… just couldn't….

Shora slammed a fist onto his chest, "Fuck!" She screamed to the cave, panting. "Fuck! Fuck!" Hitting him as she cursed, making the prone body move from the force, expressionless face wobbling with it.

Ruby grabbed her wrist with both hands before she could hit him again. Shora looked back at the young Rose, vibrating in fury against her quake like shaking. Shora's eyes widened as she spotted a drop of dark redness against her comrade's wrist.

"Ah! What are you-!?" Ruby yelled as Shora hoisted her up, closer to Anu.

"Sorry, but have to try…" Pulling her arm over Anu's mouth, leaning her hand down as she put pressure on the wound and forcing a flow of blood into it.

When she was satisfied, she tilted Anu's head back, seeing the liquid run down his throat. She then rubbed her blood covered hand over the massive trauma on his torso.

'Please… let this work…' Recalling the incident with Rhaine.

As every second passed, the hope dwindled just a little more.

Ruby broke down again, digging her face into Shora's side as she plainly observed the cadaver of her friend.

'Friend?' Remembering when she confronted Anu with her discovery of him, as he held him at bow point and threatened to turn him in. He called her 'Friend'.

Shora bit a lip, feeling wetness run down her cheeks.

"Guys! I found 'em!" Shora heard her twin yell at the caverns precipice. Before she knew it, the group was gathered around, Raf using his grappler as a rope back up as he walked up to Shora, the rest of team RWBY quickly ran to their leader, carefully pulling her away from the corpse.

Raf knelt down, placing a hand on Anu's chest as he breathed in the last of his cigarette and expelling it with a sigh.

"He is dead then?" Glynda questioned, devoid of emotion. There was no answer, only a bitter silence. She grimaced, "The Hunters should be here soon, in the mean, we will-"

Anu started to scream in unimaginable pain, his body writing up and down as if some unseen hand was manipulating his body. The man felt like he was being burned alive, bones being ripped from their moorings, flesh peeled from tendons. It was but a taste of what was to come.

[][[[[[[]]]

The first thing he saw was the clinical white ceiling, followed by the song of birds and the warm light of a midday sun.

Anu managed to keep his eyes open when he closed them the first time, seeing that it was slightly darker, shattered moon partially visible in the window to his left, on the wall. Everything past the light on the wall seemed extremely blurry.

'How the hell did I get…?' Anu thought before he shot up, pulling at several fabric restraints that held him down to the bed. A hand quickly pressed him down to the bed, "Messiah! Panic down you fucking idiot! Nurse! NURSE!"

At hearing the voice, Anu began to settle, "Rhaine?" Trying to blink away whatever had hindered him before.

The Faunus managed a smile, "Good, he has reason. Guess I won't have to put ya down." She shrugged, seeing both her arms free.

Anu's eyes widened, "How long?"

"'Bout a week." She smirked. "Welcome back to the land of the living by the way."

Anu was close to asking another question but felt the oddest of sensations… crawling up his diaphragm to his throat, he couldn't place it. "Uhhh somethings wro-" Before vomiting all over his own chest a pasty white substance.

"Oh for fucks sake! Take it easy! You're sicker than a dog. WHERES THE FUCKING NURSE!?" She yelled that last bit as she opened the door to the room.

'Sick?' Anu squinted. "…not possi-" Vomiting even more, leaning to the side, the little of his stomach left splattering on the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah shut up." She commanded as she brought over a bucket. A woman in a teal green uniform walking up to him.

"Oh my, my." She chuckled, "Good morning." Taking a disinfectant wipe and scraping up what was on his neck and face before she began to unstrap Anu. "Doctor will be here soon. I'll get you some new cloths. Rest, m'kay?"

Anu steadily began to sit up, eyeing Rhaine as she smiled. "I'd ask how ya feel, but uh haha."

Anu rolled his eyes, before a tinge of panic hit him, rubbing his eyes. "Why… what's wrong with my sight?"

Rhaine padded her light jacket before she pulled out a black oval box and presented it to him. "Doc says you'll need these."

He opened it, seeing a pair of circular-ovoid glass lenses framed in metal. "Glasses? I do not need these."

"Try 'em on."

Anu sighed, pulling it out and placing them over his ears, focusing on the pairs of glass that balanced on his nose. After a moment, the haze was steadily removed. Rhaine took out her Scroll and activated the Mirror feature, placing it towards him. "Take a look."

Anu saw first that his hair lacked the tints of white, blinking at the single tone of obsidian black. The marks under his eyes, gone. He thought it wouldn't get weirder if he didn't look into his own eyes and be met with a pair of orange-tinted gold, devoid of red. The Akuma was no longer with him, the marks… they were birthmarks of his heritage as a member of Blood Lotus. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the impossible had happened. Something had cleansed him of his Grimm blood, something made him… different now.

He was a Faunus.

[][][][]

**WOOOOWE!**

**I'm back in the saddle again baby!**


	32. A Day in a Patroller's Life

Chapter 32

"Patroller Cane..."

The wearily bored looking officer looked up from her computer screen. The delirium was only lifted slightly as she saw the brown, experienced lain eyes of Sergeant Ninsk. "S-Sergeant? What can I do for you?"

The man was nearly fifty, and while his body was as fit as a someone half of his age, his facial features were imprinted with a visage twice that, sporting a scar that ran from the left side of his scalp all the way down to mid cheek, a couple of other, smaller markings scattered his face and neck, some hidden among the more visibly growing wrinkles. The man was a thorough bred Valan, skin pale (though, nowhere near as pale compared to an Atlasian) but sun kissed and appeared rough like leather.

He gave a stern nod before looking down at a clip board, "Need you and Patroller Victor to goto a certain..." He quickly swiped out a small pair of reading glasses, "Shelby's, a sports bar down at Grimoires street, forty-third. Got a report of disruptive activity."

She understood why he would send her, Grimoires was barely a walk away from Bakers Block, and a Faunus wouldn't get shot at first look, even one in uniform. "Uh sir, I'm not sure about Victor. He's a bit umm inexperienced and is... how do I put this?"

He rose an eyebrow as he plainly stated, "Humorously human? Jumpier then a pig in a tanning shop?"

"Yes, and definitely yes." Lizbeth paused before she smiled at him.

He gave a huff, about as close to a laugh it seems. "Still, the man wears the badge, he does his duty." He put the glasses back in one of his front pockets. "Keep an eye out, no shooting, call for backup if you need it, should be minor." Tapping the desk as a punctuation note.

Lizbeth followed through, locking her computer, getting her gear ready and sending signal to her car to get warmed up. Making her way around to the other side of the locker room and sighing at the sight of her temporary partner. "Victor... give that vest back to armory."

Therin Victor, or aptly named 'Stim Junky', was a spikey blonde, thin boned looking man with a peachy complexion and an unusually energetic behavior. "Ohohohno! We're THAT close to cop hell. Not taking any chances." Holding out two fingers for not even a second as a blur of measurement.

"Wearing the vest makes you a target. Gets people nervous. Bad idea no matter where you're going. Give it back now." Lizbeth nodded at him, rechecking her belt.

"Easy for you to say, i mean, you're Fauna. That won't work for me."

Lizbeth's ears twitched, "Faunus! Faunus! No 'A'! And don't let anyone else hear that again, you understand!" Pointing at him, "Cruiser Sixty-Five. Give the vest back and meet me there. In that order."

'Oh this is going to be a long ass day...' She mentally beat her head against a nearby mental wall.

[][[[

"Seriously! I'm sorry! It slipped! The 'us' and the 'ah' are slippery as hell." Victor pleaded, seeming pretty apologetic from the whole thing. He was hopping from one end of his chair to the other, the sound of the straining seat belt getting on her nerves.

"Just get used to it, alright? Do NOT say that again." Lizbeth stressed for the eleventh time.

"Hey, whys that word a problem? I mean, they don't teach us this at the academy."

Lizbeth's eyes bugged out, almost missing her turn signal. "Okay, how can you not know? Messiah on roller-skates..."

"W-well, mind te-?"

"Yes!" She snapped, "Quiet time, okay? Mellow."

The rest of the ride was silent, save the straining of he seatbelt and him switching to sit on the opposing ass cheek every so often.

"Excuse, but I'm curious abo-"

"Shut up, Anu." She interrupted on autopilot, realizing thw error as soon as it was stated.

He blinked, "Anu? Whos Anu?"

"Uh no one. Sorry." She coughed into a fist awkwardly, relieved when the RPS said that the destination was mere meters away. "Alright, stay here, keep the radio warm. If i need you, I'll call you."

"Uhmhu Cane, i really REALLY think that..." Tapering off when she held a palm up, before cursing under his breath and crossing his arms. "Thanks, be right back."

It was fairly busy for a thursday, the odd pedestrian giving a look between her and the cruiser, but continued on, some outright avoiding to looking at either or sometimes getting a smile from the random kid.

Shelby's seemed like the usual eatery, the sign in front was a pink shell with a a big 'B's' in the middle of it. She witheld from laughing, realzing how widely wrong that can be taken. Pulling the door open, was hit with a fairly dim looking, small hallway, leading to a bar at the other side, the smell of cooking beef, tabacoo and a hint of booze wafting out.

"Whoa now." A man's voice said to her left, making her jolt slightly and snap her gaze in it direction, only to see wall. "You and the blondey..." It said from her right, making her nervously desire to fling out her nightstick. "Arent here to make a bad day, are ya?" He finished, the tone having a tone of humor.

She snapped again in its direction and felt releieved when she managed to see another soul. "H-how do you do? I'm from the Vale Police department, ive heard theres been a ruckus here."

He gave a broad, toothy smile. "None more then usual." The man was barely taller then Lizbeth, maybe around five-six at most. The first thing she noticed however, was the black mohwak being bordered by two what she thought were cat ears. The sides of his scalp that were free of hair had white tattoos, mostly spirals and had a very tribal, exotic influence to them. His skin was a dark form of reddish-brown, highlighting two colored eyes, the left one a creamy green, the other an electric, almost venomous tone of yellow. While most of his mass was hidden by a thick looking, miltary green bomber jacket, an extension of what looked like light brown fur being sown into the shoulder-neckline as well as wrists, but as he extended his hand foward, she could see the arm it was connected to was thick like a tree trunks, and concluded that while he was indeed short, he was burley or muscular. "Nice to meetcha, name's Charin Guard."

"Patroller Cane, presinct zero-nine. I am here for a disturbance, can i investigate or-"

"Ohhh youre Lizbeth." His smile dimmed but didnt leave, "Sorry, the name tag took me a bit. Remnatian is a bitch to read sometimes." He shrugged. "They gotta table waiting for ya. It's over here." He pointed a thumb towards a booth at the side of the restaurant. "Rules: no fighting. Seriosuly. Dont do it. If ya do, i'm gunna have to kick all your asses out." He put his hands in his jacket pockets, pulling one side out more, revealing an orange shirt and the visible hilt of some kind of bladed weapon thats on his back, could either be a knife or a sword.

"W-wait, what the hells happening? Is this the right Shelby's?" She scratched her head.

"Oh, then this is gunna be the worst blind double date of the century." He chuckled, "But seriously, be good, ive told them the same thing and should be respectful."

Lizbeth sighed, quitely chiming on her radio, "Hey Victor, if im not out in ten minutes call for backup." She started forward, heading to the booth in question.

"Uhhh you sure? An-"

"Its cool. We're not in Vacuo, people wont shoot cops here for no reason. Stay safe."

She miandered between tables and chairs, finding a path between the surprisingly heavily occupied bar. As she mangaed way closer to her destination, her heart skipped a beat as she recognized one person who sat down at rhe booth. His horns were a bit more visible and his rectangular shaped sword was seen leaning against the nearby wall. "Oi, copper. Sit down, we need to talk." Spitting another figure, completely dressed in black, a folded combat-sythe on the table in front of him.

"K-Kronin..." Her eyes the size of dinner plates, her mind wanting her hand to find the heavy pistol on er right side, but fear stilling the motion.

"Hey now, its okay, its okay. Sit down, have a drink. We're just gunna talk, yea?" He gestured to the booth on the otherside of the table, the other person, whom she could not recognize scoffed, turning his head away.

Lizbeth uneasily slid into a seat, hands tucked by her sides. "What is this?"

Kronin shrugged, "Boss got some contacts in the VPD to assist us in looking for a certain guy. They said you met 'im, made arragnements and here we are."

She scowled at him, grinding her teeth together. 'Fucking traitors. Make me sick.' "I ain't helping ya. Now if youll excuse me..."

The other man quickly snatched the combat Sythe from the table, pointing it at her in its gun form when a hand found her ahoulder. "Are you gunna be having a bad day or are you gunna put the piece away?" Charin asked, the tint of humor still there despite the dire situation.

Kronin put a hand on the rifle and pushed the barrel downwards, "Do NOT do that again, ya 'stand?" He growled. "Sit back down, no harm yea? Its important, it may even help you, the guy we're after is a killa."

Charin backed away, leaning against the bar as Lizbeth narrowed her eyes even further. "If you have evidemce that may assist with his-"

"No, we're tryin' ta find where he's at." Kronin took a small picture out of one of the pockets inside of his vest, sliding it down the table. "We both know him, but I's think you actually know 'im better 'en me."

When she saw the picture of a foggy mass, barely recognizable save for the one or two seconds she saw it before it set in, her mouth opened a smigden, "A...Ah... why the hell would you want him?" She quitely asked, almost fearful to voice the question due to the subject at hand. "This... thing has been eluding the VPD for over two years, ever since Patroller Walen's murder died down, why now?"

Kronin glimpsed at the picture himself, a photo mostly mist then man, but there was definitely a distorted face in all of that weird stuff, a bit of brown hair, white skin and the outer edge of an eye. "Why do you think? Someone managed to get an image. Shitty as it is." He nodded towards her, "We're partnering up to nail this sonovabitch, ya dig? We need someone who's at least somewhat familar, had any experience with this guy and ISN'T dead."

Lizbeth crossed her arms over her chest, "Give this to the VPD and we'll do it."

Kronin scoffed, Drake silently observed both of them. "We know what ya guys do to people like 'im, ya either put 'im in prison or make 'im a fucking Hunter. We're gunna kill 'im and be done with it. Yur bosses seem to agree, else they wouldn't have let this little parlay play out."

Lizbeth sighed, capitulating somewhat. She wanted the Collector dead too, but working with these guys seemed wrong on so many god-damn levels. Sliding back into the seat, "What can I do?"

[][][][[[[[]][][[[][]

Lizbeth drove back to the Precinct under absolute, deathly silence, completely ignoring the banter that Victor tried to make. He was too curious, and she was too conflicted to think past the issues given just recently, biting her nails on one hand and managing to drive with the other.

After a prolonged lull in activity from her partner, he managed to ask, "Sooo Anu? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Or whatever?"

Lizbeth snapped her gaze to him, "No! Just… no!" She blenched.

'Out of all the things I've been asking, _that _gets her attention?' He conspired evilly at the possibilities this means.

She narrowed her gaze, "Neither. He's just someone I know." 'And shot…'She added mentally.

"Yeeeaahhh whatever you say. Seriously though, it's just between us."

Lizbeth would have sunk into her seat even deeper if it was remotely safe to do so. "I… I really just don't know. He's a Hunter and-"

"You're dating a fucking Hunter?!" Victor almost screeched in a mix of joy and shock. "How the hell did you get into contact with him?! He a new one?! Hadn't heard of him before!"

Lizbeth would have smacked him if she wasn't busy trying to pick the whining sound out of her ear. "He's in training, and we met when I was on patrol and yeah…"

Victor was almost gushing, "Didn't know you were into 'barely legal' material." He grinned obnoxiously widely.

Lizbeth's eyes snapped open and gaze iced over in realization, 'Holy Shit…. I have a thing for someone who's barely a man. Oh God! I'm a pediphile! I'm a pedophile!' She was screaming in her head, while her exterior seemed deep in thought, she was crawling around her mindscape, screaming to the high heavens in forgiveness.

"Cane!" Victor yelled before throwing his foot ontop of the break, making the cruiser screech its tires as it attempted to avoid crashing into a pickup truck in front of it.

Lizbeth was a mix of either giving up and walk to to the precinct from there and fainting.

[][][][]

"C'mon boss, ya know the deal with these hawk-types, she'll help us out if it'll give 'er a big fat promotion. After we get the Collector to ya over in pieces, then we'll get the guy that uh ha ha pissed off the boy." Chuckiling at the pun, throwing a glance at the side of the seated man, his son and luitenient just off the chair's arm.

"Hmph!" He tapped the end of his cigarret, ash falling into a tray nearby. "Good. Be a fine prize, the Demon."

"How'ewer boss, I ain't gunna kill 'im when we bring 'im, not fast." He nodded towards Drake, "So I don't think the Shooter will be needed, ya? Give a big paycheck for this last mission and let the 'Fang have 'im back?"

"What the hell do you mean 'Not kill him'?!" The son demanded.

"Kid, the big-boys are talkin'." Kronin gestured to Boss. "Be a little quieter, its hard to hear anything over yur sqeaukin'."

"The name's Troy, you idiot! Worse! Even an idiot foreigner like you should able to memorize something repeated enough times!" The boy screeched.

Kronin plucked something that was in his ear with a pinky, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Boss?"

Skara, the Godfather of the Red Vale mafia, took a long drag of his tabac, a cloud of smoke forming as he lifted a hand, boney and aged, "Don't worry about him. You will have your time with the Demon, to fight to your content." He looked at his son with sunken eyes, "My Enforcer deserves payment for the countless labors he has done for our family and the people, Troy. The Demon will die, but I will spare you the obstacle of doing it yourself and have spetcle played out instead."

"Hopefully the cop will be the key in bringing 'im in." Kronin nodded.

Skara looked towards the White Fang member, Drake. "Give my regards to whoever is running the cell now." He pressed off his chair, pointing to him and declared, after snapping his finger two times to an attendant to lead him out and pay him. "And if he or she continues raiding the people without my sayso, your time here will mean nothing as I gut and skin you and yours as a warning for any rabid animal that dares think of it."

'Ah shit, please no skinnin's! The smell sticks on my clothes for months…' Kronin internally dreaded.

[][[]

"Liz, c'mon, no way in hell that this is the Collector." Victor scoffed as he sipped a cup of coffee.

"Trust me, it is, and call me Liz again…" Lizbeth sent the photo, edited to highlight the physical features of pic, as few as they were. Leaning back into her desk chair and glaring at Victor. "I will make you regret it severally."

"Okayokay, Cane. Sheesh. Seriously though, this just_ can't_ be the Collector."

She ignored the comment, incarnated in a different format but still somehow managed to be repeated over ten times, holding her Scroll out, the number of Beacon Academy's Informant Board in the buffer and the urge to call it for help from an ally too tempting. She slid the Scroll closed and refocused on her work, concluding he was probably busy doing something else. 'Being hip deep in Grimm probably.' She secretly regretted not eating breakfast this morning, apart from the half gallon of coffee that's required to get her out of bed. Something nice and solid, like an Ice Berry Tart. With toast and butter. And grapes, seedless preferably. A gallon of coffee on top-

"LIZBETH!"

"AHH!" Cane declared as she was awkwardly torn from her fantasy in startlement, ripping out the keyboard to her desktop, jumping ontop of her chair's head rest and wielding the piece of equipment like a club. "What? What?!"

Patrolman Victor stared, "Uhhh do you want some lunch or what? Ninsk let us off the hook for with the Shelby's thing annnnd yeah, you were kinda in a coma."

Lizbeth's gravity finally returned to her as the chair's head rest couldn't take all of her weight for long, snapping and sending her to the ground. Face still planted in the floor, she threw a thumb's up. "'Already full up on carpet, thanks." She mumbled through the thin material.

[][][][[[[]]

"Who orders a salad and fries at NcDoonalds?" Victor continued (to his greater doom) to question Lizbeth about ever-fucking-little-thing.

Lizbeth started slurping her drink, "I don't know! What kind a person doesn't order a burger?" She asked sarcastically.

Victor stared at her all too seriously, hand on his chin, leaning against the shared cruiser armrest.

After about half a mintute, she rolled her eyes. "Something to think about."

She privately enjoyed a fantasy where she takes a screaming Victor towards the very outermost edge of Baker's Block threatening to kick his ass out the moment he saw the first shady bastard, and SURPRISE! Lizbeth takes gun out, shoots him in the head and dumps his still twitching body at the edge of the street. Will goto a car wash, clean every speck of blood and brain and the crew would be nonethewiser. She'd get a promotion; her entire family would be there! Fireworks! Banners that says 'Caught Collect….'!

"Hey, Cane, your Scroll's going crazy."

Cane almost smacked her head against the wheel of the car as her stupor was ruined. She retrieved said device, and her eyes opened wide at the content sent. She had half-hoped that a match wouldn't be found or there would be so many that it would be impractical to check all of them, even narrowing down past offenseces. Right now? She was looking at ten, one of which happens to live in a district of town that's strictly all human. Run by a bunch of rich shutins,but it was weird as this was the last place he was spotted on street cams, but he had no legal residence there, hell, he didn't have one anywhere.

Only a name; Jack Sanjin.

[][][][[[[[]]]

Lizbeth's brow soaked into her cap as she rode and broke the speedlimit, half tempted to flick on her alarm to get the traffic out of the way, but would cause more fallout then good later down the line. She didn't want to call home in the hopes for backup, nor did she want to warn of the possibility of the dangers of where she was headed. The leakers in the bureau have probably already told those two butchers she met at Shelby's, but in the case word hadn't gone out yet, she needed to be there first to confirm and possibly catch the bastard before he strikes again.

"H-he turns into fog? Seriously?" Victor questioned, holding onto one of the latches inside of the cruisers for dear life as she sped street through street.

"Yeah, doesn't make a foot step before he strikes." She grimaced, biting into her nails so far they were almost bleeding. "So keep your eyes out."

Victor looked like he was going to pass out, bug eyed, paler then a blanket of snow being covered in bleach.

"Listen, if you don't want to volunteer, I understand. Let me know and I'll let you off, but I _have_ to get this place and find someway for them to let me in and look around."

Victor stilled, looking down, still wide in the eyes, but simultaneously deep in thought. He looked out of the passenger side window, and quickly taking a pen out of a pocket and began writing the address put in the GPS on his hand. "Let me off at this supermarket. I'll get help and be there as soon as possible!"

[][][[[[

"Patroller Cane, at Thirty-First, Sahni's Square." She stated to the radio, leaving the cruiser as a Responder radioed back, "Uh for what prupose Patroller Cane? Patroller?"

Lizbeth checked her heavy pistol, ammo, nightstick battery, everything, bordering on procrastination, as she stared at the gate to the cut off community, taking a breath before heading over and clicking a button to speak to the guard house on the other side. "This is Lizbeth Cane, Patroller of the VPD. I request to speak to someone in charge in order to access this place legally for my investigation."

There was no answer, Lizbeth pushing the button once more, "This is Patroller Cane, my investigation is…" She hesitated, unwanting to cause a panic, "My investigation is about the Collector, lives may be at risk! I beseech you to let me in and give me as much access as you can in order-!"

"Oh hey Copper-Cane, what's up?" A voice replied over the speaker.

Lizbeth blinked, eye twitched, "What? Who is this?"

"Gimme a sec, I'll buzz ya in."

After the gate flowed open silently, Lizbeth slowly withdrew her pistol and walked towards the gatehouse, windows tinted dark. "Hello! Get out now!"

Kronin and Drake waltzed out, the Enforcer waving a hand. "What took you so long? Just had a long chat with the block manager, had a beer, what've you been doing?"

Lizbeth's eye twitched, "How in the hell-?"

"Doesn't matter." Drake cut in, "Let's get in and out. Hate this goddamn neighborhood. What should we watch out for?"

"Man, the guy… probably isn't going anywhere. A question won't hurt. Plus, we know where he haunts." Kronin shrugged, "We gotta… few contacts that owe a few more favors. Said contacts enjoy shuffilin' a bit of fun in 'nd out of the block every so often, soooo hidin' an armed, Faunus hunk and the weirdo love child between a sniper and death herself was only a little harder than sneakin' in a few Faunus skanks."

A brief moment, she contemplated not telling them a thing. Whoever the guy was with the combat scythe, she didn't like him and had the distinct impression that in time he would cause more casualties rather than less. Then there's Kronin, the Enforcer. How many has he killed and gotten away scot free? How many were her comrades, her friends? Messiah, he's probably done worse things than kill cops. Would having the Collector kill these guys be such a bad idea?

"Oi, copper? You good? C'mon, we got a good idea where he's at."

[][][][][[[

Lizbeth's hands shook uncontrollably, and holding her heavy pistol at every other noise did not help her slight convulsions. The area that the trio was now looking around in, a lightless corner of unventilated and poorly smelling bit of a wealthy section of the town. Lizbeth was surprised to find the area is such disrepair, neglected in such a way it seemed that everyone threw their trash here for the sole reason of dirtying it up.

While the Patrolman was shaking in her boots in a literal sense of the phrase, Kronin was sipping on a beer carelessly, eyes easily scanning the environment, and the sniper Drake was barely in sight due to the man's clothing and his natural abilities to blend all combining into near invisibility, if it were not for the skull-mask he carried on his scalp.

Lizbeth did not use the flashlight under her pistol barrel in the fear of giving away their position, or scaring the Collector away.

"Oi, Jack Sinjin here?" Kronin asked aloud, making Lizbeth jump up and point her gun at him. The act made him laugh and he pushed the gun-barrel away, "Will take a bit more than that to off me, ya know."

She never thought she would actually prefer the presence of Victor in any manner.

[][[[[[

Jack was so startled by the voice echoing down his crude home that he dropped the kettle of boiling water on his foot, makig him jump up and curse a loud, "CRAPING DAMMIT!" Hopping up and down on his other uninjured foot as he adjusted to the pain of his crushed toes. "Who is it?!" Jack yelled back to the alley.

No answer followed, making him begin to think that the one who was coming maybe was not his carer from the local block. "Hello? Answer!"

He regretted what followed. What came into his view were two Faunus and someone else he couldn't even focus on. Horns. Ears.

What followed was all too familiar to Jack, as his consiuness registered the traits and his active mind fell more into a like a dream, dull and numb, helpless to what came next.

[][][[[[[]

"Holy SHIT!" Lizbeth began firing into the mass of encroaching fog, the bullets flying through it without any effect.

Drake was doing something similar, save his snipe rifle had a more disruptive effect from its sheer firepower, but the holes made in the fog quickly closed, unaffected by both of their attacks. Kronin, however, was having a more visible effect: charging in with the Broken Blade, his powerful swings acting as a fan and brushing the fog back as limbs formed out of it with a large cleaver like weapon, pushing it back before it could touch him.

Lizbeth stared as her pistol ran out of ammo and she reloaded, the moment she looked down Kronin yelled out, "Ouch!" The cleaver dragged across his shoulder and neck, "That rusty thing fuckin' HURTS!"

"Out of the way everyone!" A new comer from behind them ordered, the voice too familiar to Lizbeth's ears.

She jumped to the side, looking to Victor with awe as he brought forth a massive, industrial vacuum cleaner as big as he was, the tube as wide as his arm, all of it on his shoulder as he punched in the power button, make-shift Dust-battery on its top buzzing in struggle as the massive particle sucker began to build up.

What followed was Jack Sinjin, in all of his misty mass, being sucked out of existence for several seconds, the machine beginning to bulge as it drained the fog of the area. As it began to thin, Jack's corporeal shape began to become visible, struggling and pained as his ability was literally drained from him like puss from a wound, the infection his Aura and Semblance had on his mind waning as it dwindled.

Until it was gone and Jack, now real and fully physical once more yelled out in pain and fell to the floor.

Lizbeth was stunned at this, shocked from Victor's ingenuity and thinking, 'Why didn't _I _think of this?'

Victor was doused in sweat, the physical strain of carrying the massive vacuum cleaner now reaching its limit and he sagged, the machine falling to the ground off his shoulder with a loud _clang!_ hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, "Hope *huff* I didn't take too long." He smiled at Lizbeth.

"I owe ya." Kronin scoffed, "Probably woulda been forced ta retreat if the fight wen' on like that. So…" He looked to Jack Sinjin, the murderer, now fully visible.

The bastard was as scrawny as he was decrepit looking, eyes sunken in and dark around brown as if he had not slept in days, skin so pale that he seemingly hasn't been exposed to sun light for even longer, bald head splotted with patches of hair as if he was recently balding all of a sudden. He wore a dirty red-plaid pattern shirt, tan shorts matted in mud and filth. Despite the weary, dirty, starved appearance, the group recognized he could not be older than twenty, malnutrition or depravation keeping his lengthy legs and arms frail in appearance, a cheap High school-Scroll pattern sticking out of a pocket.

Kronin sighed, walking over to the boy, uneven blade pointed over his neck, "Let's just get this done."

Lizbeth pointed her pistol at Kronin's head, "Hold it right there!" Victor quickly joining her, pointing his weapon at the sniper nearby. "I won't let you kill him?"

Kronin groaned in frustration "C'mon hawk, if we let this guy out of our hands now, 'il go and kill even more families. This guy has _butchered kids_. This wuldnant exactly be unjust 'n all."

"He was hiding here." Lizbeth said, "He doesn't look like someone proud of killing people. If… if there is a chance he was hiding here to prevent more death, we have to take him in and question him. He may not have had control of his actions!" He recalled what Anu said of Auras. "Make sure it stops! So many people have already died from him already."

Kronin huffed, "Then what's just 'un more body?" As he lifted the Broken Blake to strike the neck and severe the Collector's head, a loud flash like lightning blinded everyone in the alley, the favored weapon of Kronin the Enforcer, flying out of his grasp and into a nearby fire escape.

The second thing Lizbeth noticed, was a spear imbedded in the nearby wall, its length crackling in veins of red lightning.

She smiled as she turned to the alley's opening. "ANU!"

The Shira-Kai smiled at her greeting, "Evening, Lizbeth!" He replied cheerfully.

"Ah! Fuck you! Ya slippery sack ah shit!" Kronin cursed as he continued to rub away the blindness the newcomer had introduced.

In reply, Drake deployed his combat-scythe, the sniper rifle pointing at Anu, an opposing rifle fired at his feet, the shell so heavy and dense that the debris it made blinded him.

Rhaine sighted the group atop a roof, smiling as her opponent sniper looked back at her through the scope, "Smiler, _bastardo_. Flinch, ya die." She said quietly.

[][[]]]]

Anu retrieved Shu from her hold, using it as leverage as he leant down and tried to lift Jack up from the floor, grimacing at the man's state. "Are you alright?" He asked, feeling confident that he could stop Jack before he attacked once more, the hand on his arm ready to spill forth an Ego Technique to stop him.

"Uh nah, I've been feeling like hell for what seems like years…" Jack said quietly, his eyes on the ground as he was unsteadily risen with Anu's aid.

Lizbeth stared at Anu, noticing his new appearance and, dare she say, weakness. He looked so much softer now, in terms of strength. Anu didn't stand up as straight, the leverage seemed to be as much for himself as Jack, his glasses added a meekness to his features and around his left forearm was wrapped in thick sets of bandages. What really shocked her is when she looked her in the eye once more, and see saw a new set of his, no longer alien-red as she met him with, but a swirl of blue, greens and light browns, hair on his shoulders pure jet black, skin darker, if not so much as Lizbeth's own. He spoke, "If you would be so kind? Can you take this man to somewhere safe? He looks weak."

Victor quickly ran forward, handcuffs snapping around Jack's wrists, without any resitatne or cry of protest. "You are under arrest, by oversight of the Vale Police Department and its laws, you will be judged and tried according to your actions and sentenced to an equal judgment by your peers and the Kingdom Vale Council. You will have a right to silence at your leisure, but know what you say may be held against you in your trail or judgment, do you understand what I have described to you"

Anu stared at Victor confused, uncertain of the meaning of this treatment. Jack seemed unable to breath a full lungs worth of breath, let alone fight or reply. Jack nodded, looking back up at the two VPD members and stopped at Lizbeth, notably her ears.

Lizbeth was more than tempted to point her weapon at him as he stared at her. "Why… why isn't it happening?"

"What?" Victor asked.

"Whenever I noticed a Faunus's uh extra parts I blank out and… bad things…" He wavered slightly in his stance, where Anu quickly stepped to his side and made sure he didn't fall.

"Please, take care of him." Anu nodded to Victor, "I believe he thinks that his acts were somehow triggered or caused by noticing Faunus. Maybe keep humans around only?" He eyed Lizbeth, "Please, take him. I will be better use to you covering you back from these gentlemen."

Kronin blinked heavily at his fingers, "I ain't no gent, piss-ant." He then growled, "That murderer has a death mark, one way or another, he's gunna die. If ya let me, I'll make sure it'da be good 'n quick, no pain, nothin'. Wuldnt even need to kill ya or the hawks."

Anu glared, "That's not going to happen." Walking between him and the retreating patrollers. Lizbeth unsteadily looking back at him. "The Collector maybe a soul worth saving. In fact, I am willing to fight for the effort to be had."

Drake kept his weapon trained on the sniper above, "Lets just kill 'em already, the cops won't be a problem."

"If you do that, I will make certain you will pay for your cowardice." Anu pointed his spear at Drake.

'_Cowardice?'_ Kronin seethed internally, his grip on the Broken Blade's grip nearly snapping. "Let 'em go."

Drake looked at Kronin, hesitating for a second before he scoffed, "Whatever. Already got paid."

"But in 'schange," Kronin pointed at Anu, "You come with me. I gotta bone to pick with ya."

"You would remove the death mark?" Anu asked.

"_Anu, don't do it man. This sounds like a reeeally bad deal. Don't trust a criminal._" Rhaine spoke through his Scroll.

"Ya got my word, it'd be gone." Kronin nodded.

Shu retracted in her shorter state, "You have a deal then." Hearing Rhain curse under her breath.

Kronin chuckled darkly, "Been wantin' to fight _the_ Demon of fuckin' Atlas. It's gunna bea ball."

Lizbeth's ears twitched, her eyes widening as she heard what Kronin said, instantly dropping her part of carrying Jack to the patroller with Victor, the two tubling over.

The Bat-Faunus ran back and demanded, "W-what?! Did he just call you the Demon of Atlas?! He's dead!" He looked to Anu, her gaze boring into his features, making him flinch. "Why did he call you that?!"

Kronin chuckled, "Uh oh, looks like ya got a fan."

Lizbeth shook her head in disbelief, "N-no, he's dead. Please tell me that's just a street name or a stupid uh stripper name or something…" '_Stripper name?_ If I wasn't so desperate, I'd have laughed.'

Anu breathed in with his nose before reconnecting eye contact with her, "Take care of that man, Lizbeth Cane. Do not look for me." Looking up at his partner on the roof, "You neither." Back at Lizbeth, "There is a very fine difference between that poor, starved man and I: he could not control what he did."

Lizbeth froze. Her mind being shocked back to sitting in front of the television, mouth open to the horror that was shared with all the people in the common room of the Vale Police Academy. Also, before that, where she had to goto a friends funeral who was sent to Atlas to assist with the Desert Dust Rebellion.

The man before her made her friend's brother an only child.

Lizbeth gripped her pistol with a renewed rage and pointed it at Anu, who walked side by side with Kronin as they walked to opposing opening to the alley, giving some distance with her flashback's occupying her for several moments.

She wanted to pull that trigger_ so badly_. She wanted to hurt him, make him bleed for the pain he caused. A rogue finger twitch and she would finish what she accidentally started the night they met.

And that did it. Lizbeth remembered the weird man she had mistaken for the man she had now just caught, when he was truly so much worse. Or was he? Why would he save her from the Collector and be shot in the process? She knew she couldn't kill him. Not now. If she had met him, magically, when he was still hip deep in dead, she wouldn't have hesitated. He saved her life, she saved his. She didn't, _couldn't_ see the Demon where Anu had walked now. She still continued to point the weapon as she yelled, "I am not leaving this case without you!"

Anu looked back at her, shocked only a second at her weapon. "You have no choice. Find Rhaine. She will make sure you know my… seizure will not be without reason."

Like that, the trio of Drake, Kronin and Anu disappeared into the shadows of the evening light.

She lost track of how much time had passed, just standing there. She only regained a bit of coherence when a woman, a bit taller then her and who she believed was Rhaine, put a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, we gotta go."

Lizbeth shook her head, "Go where?"

She smiled, "Oh well, Priest and I made this little plan to hammer down on the Red Vale when Viky-girl over here called him earlier." Pointing a thumb at the human.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"He'll last a while, but we need to get some more help before we go stormin' the castle. An old friend of Anu's at some place called She-Bes or something. Some Faunus called Charin. You mind driving me? Victy can drive the skinny back to the precinct or something. Besides, he's a horrible driver."

[][][][]][][

END OF CHAPTER


	33. Reborn in Dust Part A

Chapter 33

'_Start where thou are. Use what thou wields. Do what thou can."_

Book of the Messiah. Chapter of Dreams (CoD) 15:1

[[][][]

Sometime before...

Anu cringed in pain as he checked on the stiches on the bottom of his left arm, the bandages now filthy from dirt and sweat needing to be replaced.

A finger ran under the sealed, scabby, itchy cut, eyes analyzing her patient's reaction, an irk of pain from the sensation affirming her observations. "The pain medication working?"

Anu briefly looked to Shora, her jacket, jeans replaced by an odd image of a lightly colored dress and a hair bun. "Better than it should sometimes. I fall asleep in situations I should not or get tired easily when I use it."

"That atop of your normal lack of energy?"

Anu was still getting used to... well, everything. Sleep was now important, as was eating right, daily exercise. A mortal existence was as much maintenance as it was action. What was worse, his body was already heavily damaged when it was somehow purged of its more undesired aspects, and when he woke, he was being bombarded with sicknesses he had no or few defenses against, an infection where Flatooth bit and then gored him, and his ability to heal or manifest something along the lines of an Aura to assist with recovery was near impossible when he first awoke.

He was weak, tired constantly, unable to eat what he desired and when, and if he was not in bed recovering, he was doing something that caused some agitation or full-fledged agony.

And he couldn't be happier.

Anu smiled even as his face irked when Shora was doing her weekly routine with him. He trusted her with this above a professional physician due to her knowledge of his past traits. When he was in the hospital, several aspects of his body were confusing to the healers, namely his immune system and blood type, as well as the usual issue of human doctors trying to treat a Faunus. Humans were more or less universal in treatments, but every Faunus was odd and wholly unique, being more of a species on an individual level then a broad grouping of organisms.

When doctors saw x-ray images, they couldn't take heads or tails, and when Shora gave him CPR, it caused more harm than good, his newly fragile body cracking under her force, Aura enhanced with raw emotion.

But Anu was fairly entertained from the odd balancing act of glasses ahold on the mid of his nose. Looking down and around quickly has provided the newly gifted sets of bifocals various scratches that made them appear years old. It was like some kind of disciplinary exercise.

Anu gasped lightly as she ran a salve soaked digit across the cut directly. "You're repairing much better."

"Could not get much worse." Anu laughed as he began wrapping a fresh set of bandages over his arm.

She took off her rubber glove and threw it in the trash nearby, "Sorry we had to do this in a hurry, and I would ask my questions if I didn't have to do this thing with Nora." She slapped the covering in a kind of final touch to the weekly ritual, Anu didn't mind it due to him wanting to acclimate more to this kind of pain, but he never could fully prepare himself and it irked him every time.

"What... are you and her doing today?" Anu asked, straining trying to compartmentalize the pain.

"We go to a church every year on the fifth of Boktober." She explained, slipping her Scroll into a dust covered hand purse that didn't match her dress.

Anu blinked at that. "You don't give the impression you worship any religion."

"I don't. This is for Nora. Who does in her own... personal way." Shora oversimplified. "See you at dinner." Leaving the dorm room.

Anu did his unusual morning routine: brush teeth, floss, shower, clothe fully, followed by some very light reading from his Scroll and a new addition of learning Remnatian. He had fallen severely behind since his stay at the hospital for near a month.

As he closed the door, he heard from down the hall, muffled by walls, "AHHH! You dolt! You broke it!" Coming from team RWBY's dorm.

Turning his head slightly, he walked down and knocked on the door, "Is-" the door creaked open, "Excuse m~eee!" He shrieked as a fireball was shot from Weiss's saber and struck him in the chest, launching him into the opposing wall. He weakly flopped onto his face, body twitching as he felt his shirt's center burn with embers, running a hand over his chest and being weakly relieved that his Aura, weak as it is, protected him from major burns.

That didn't make the sharp ache in his back hurt any less. "Ihtah..." he moaned lowly.

"Weiss, calm down for fuck's sake! Anu! You okay? Do you need to get back to the hospital?" Yang moved to his side in the hall.

Anu quickly sprung up, an audible crack to his spine as he did so, bracing through his teeth, "I am okay." Smiling weakly.

Yang wasn't convinced, turning toward her partner in fury. "It was just jewelry! You nearly killed Anu!"

Weiss stomped, "THAT WAS MY GREAT AUNT'S NECKLACE! IT WAS OVER FIFTY YEARS OLD!"

Anu looked behind the woman in white, some glass shards and a chain of gold strewn on the floor. Then a gleam caught his eye, an idea coming to him. He approached Weiss, a hand on his back, "I-I think I can fix that."

Weiss scoffed, "Really? That necklace was made by an unhireable goldsmith, with bits of glass forged from some vents in a dead volcano in Atlas. Pardon me if I doubt your abilities to 'fix' this." She quoted fix with her fingers.

Anu rolled his eyes, "I may have a trick to repair it, do you want me to try or not?"

Weiss crossed her arms and sighed, "Well, it's already broken, how much worse can it get if you try?"

Anu beamed, "That's the spirit!" Running past her, scrapping up all the fragments together into a pile, where he them cut the tops of two of his fingers. "Always wanted to try this." Giddily sliding his bloody digits on the floor, circling the broken garment, patterning symbols across its border in a pattern of pausing, remembering the correct set of sequences then continuing until it was finished, where he left two small circles at two separate poles of the glyph.

Weiss and Yang yelled, "What the hell are you doing?!" "You summonin' the Devil or something?"

"Can you come here Weiss? I will need you for this." Waving a hand towards himself, Anu sat on his knees in front of one small circle.

"You better clean this crud off the floor." Weiss rolled her eyes, standing where Anu gestured to, next to the other circle

"Now, how long have you had this garment?" Anu pointed at the pile of junk with a hand.

"Since I was eight, but didn't start wearing it until I was thirteen."

"And your family, your bloodline, has owned it for decades? No one else?" Anu nodded.

"Yes, why?"

Anu smiled widely, "Wonder if this will work now." He said quietly to himself, "Well, I have in mind an Ego Weave which, guided by your memories and your forebears memories, and my energy, can repair this object to its prior state."

Weiss rose an eyebrow, "What?"

"Please, sit and close your eyes, place your hand in the circle." Anu instructed. Though Weiss did the sitting part, keeping the eyes closed did not work, winking an eye open every other second and carefully looking at Anu and making sure he didn't steal anything while she wasn't looking.

"Don't focus on me, Schnee." Anu pointed a thumb to Yang, interested in this weird Dungeons and Dugongs crap they were doing. "She's watching me, do not fret."

Yang smirked, "Damn right. He ain't gunna do anything funny. If anyone, it'd be me."

Weiss opened her eyes fully, glaring at the brawler, "Keep your paws to yourself, vandal!"

Anu sighed, massaging his brow, "How did you break this, by the way?" Asking Yang.

"Ohhh well ehehe..." Yang rubbed the back of her head, smiling like the cat that ate the canary, "She left it on her bed. I thought, 'Hey, this isn't exactly a Pimp Chain, but this would make me look..." she smiled broadly, staring the Schnee right back in her eye, "Yangster'."

Weiss, plagued by her torrent of puns, face palmed with such a force that she grew dizzy.

"But Princess Stine Ein over here saw me with it and tried to take it back the dumb way and well, broke."

"Uh. Well, let us begin. I need you to concentrate on this necklace, its appearance, weight, everything and anything, all the times you wore or fiddled with it." Anu placed his hand in his own circle, "When you are ready, place your hand within the circle."

Weiss managed to drag her gaze to Anu, "If this doesn't work, I'll make sure your 'girlfriend' over here pays for it fully." Pointing to the blonde before closing her eyes and slamming her palm in the circle.

Anu looked to Yang and silently mouth, 'It should.' And pushed his palm firmly into the circle, muttering indecipherable words as he carefully drew upon his Ego, which visibly bled from him like a yellow vapor, cloud or nebula, being coaxed out by the bloody sigil, where it disappeared. Yang gasped slightly as the rune itself glew white, the heirloom jewelry beginning to float as shattered glass reformed into their triangular patterns, and the golden chain, broken, looked as whole as when she first laid her eyes on it.

What was more disturbing about this thing; it was eerily silent, she could not even hear her own breath, as if the ritual deadened or diminished sound so far that it was nearly nonexistent.

Then the glow faded, the red, bloody circle now a crispy, brown scab, and the necklace laying whole and undisturbed between Weiss and Anu.

Anu smiled, picked it up, held it in front of Weiss and said, "Open your eyes."

Weiss looked surprised, to put it mildly. Her eyes dashing between him and Yang in utter confusion, 'How did this happen? Some kind of deception? A prop? That doesn't make sense. Neither of their Semblances deals repair. Doesn't make sense either. So how could this be?'

Weiss reached for it, carefully slow in thinking that this object was some kind of smoky phantasm, something spawned from the illusionary Semblance Anu possessed, and would be nicked away if she took it too quickly. When she touched the delicate thread like chain and it remained firm to the touch, wrapped thin fingers around the cord and took it up, the glass prisms so pristine as to be nearly invisible jingled a chime as they bounced together.

"Uhm..." she turned it around in her fingers, inspecting every millimeter of it. "It... looks like it… ugh..."

Anu stood up nodded, "You're quite welcome." Smiling, before taking a loose rag and wiping away the crusty blood, which was moved more like dust then a congealed liquid, taking them into the make shift handkerchief. "I must say, I expected that to take a higher toll on me. I only KNEW about Reconstruction through training but since I had no experience or knowledge to pace myself..." he began rambling before he waved a hand, "Why have you brought this for anyways? I have never seen you wear it."

Weiss narrowed her gaze, "Just because I don't wear something you don't know about doesn't mean I won't wear it. I took it out to look better when the exchange team arrives in two days."

"Exchange team?" Anu turned his head slightly. "Exchanged from where?"

Yang shrugged, "Two are from Mistral, the other two, no clue but we think they're from outside the kingdoms."

"Oh? Cold." He smiled, "Will I have to prepare a part of a feast for their arrival? Make them feel welcome? Any rituals I must take part in?"

Yang chuckled at his continued use of the word 'cold'. "Nah, just don't intimidate them with your over bearing presence."

'Over bearing?!' He was shocked that Yang of all people considered him such. "Have I offen-" the Scroll in his pocket began chiming its emergency tone, where Anu pulled it out and the display. "Ihtah?" Before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell backwards, unconscious.

Yang rushed over to him in a panic, "Anu?! Anu! Wake up!"

Weiss picked up the Scroll in the meantime, "Oh, that explains it." She turned the screen to Yang, "He got hit by Aura Depletion Shock. It isn't fatal, just majorly inconvenient, Yang." She smiled, where the blonde nearly passed out as well in relief.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck, "This guy is just plain ol' masochistic." She muttered in frustration.

"Explains why he likes you." Weiss smirked victoriously at her quip.

Yang, despite the intent of insult, smiled a bit from that.

[[[[][[[[[]

Rhaine's small balloon of bubble gum popped, staring down her sights, making slight adjustments to her posture as she was laying on the rough cement of the gun range.

She slowly squeezed the trigger, the kick bouncing the rifle up, the bright green of the tracer round exploding just left of the bullseye. She rested the gun down, and commented, "I'm sure that isn't me. The barrel may need realignment."

Raf was grinning, "It was you, please try again."

Rhaine scoffed, "Fourth time, Barian. It ain't me." Chewing her gum more harshly.

Raf's eyes narrowed as he recognized the opportunity, laying down next to Rhaine and shuffling close to her side.

She stared skeptically at his approach, where she added, "The hell you doing?"

"Can't believe I'm gunna be telling this shit to a supposed snipe expert. Look down the barrel, like you're gunna shoot it, 'kay?" Raf pointed down the range with a knife hand. Rhaine complied, sighing internally. "What do you do, leadin' up to the squeeze?"

"I hold my breath." Rhaine rolled her eyes. "Keeps me stable, focused."

"And yet, here we are." Raf countered, "Consider breathin' different?"

"I was trained this way."

"Then you were trained wrong." He pat her shoulder, "Alls people are different when it comes to-ah shootin'. Try slowly breathin' out instead of holdin'."

Rhaine focused on the target, the sights dead center and fought her instilled, trained instincts and as she prepared to fire, slowly began to exhale.

The rifle kicked back, almost surprising her, the target's center being splat purple.

She looked up from the scope and smiled, leaning on the stock and smiled, "Wow." She looked to Raf and lifted her fist, "Mama's got her old tricks back."

"Hoo-ah!" Raf laughed, butting his own fist into hers before it quickly disappeared.

Rhaine's eyes sprung in shock as she felt a new found grip on her body, but kept her calm smile as she explained to her partner, "And because of our newfound work respect, and the running endorphins..." her smile turned sinister as she continued, "I'm going to let you remove your hand from my ass without shooting you dead where you lay."

Raf chuckled to her, "Oh how generous of you, Miss Hodmada." His smile quickly disappeared as she took his wrist in her grip and began twisting, "Ow ow ow..."

[][[[[]

"Oh c'mon! Someone's gotta be home!" Yang was holding the unconscious Anu in a lock around his arm as she her fist to nearly knock the door to ARES' dorm. "I ain't leaving him out here alone! I can't even think what Nora wi-" she was frustrated by the fact that his Scroll locked up when he went into ADS, a kind of emergency thing she guess from the newer models of Scrolls. She couldn't unlock it and use its Key application for his dorm.

'Could always take him to ours, let him rest there. No muss, no fuss.' She knew Blake probably wouldn't like it, considering it's near her private time and she is particularly... squify if she doesn't have it, and Yang doesn't know how long he'll be sleeping. Weiss may even be fine with it, considering recent events, but isn't exactly compromising when it comes to Faunus in her space. She nearly had a fit when she and Rhaine were given a cooperative assignment in Literature when she jumped onto her bed, she may react similar if she finds Anu sleeping over it on Yang's own mattress, regardless of what he has done just today. Yang was worried that if she put him on her bunk, he'd roll off and hurt himself more. Which was an odd concern, she realized. He could, _should_, tough it out if he did. Besides, it'd be funny! Not that she'd be around to see it. Still, the want to minimizing the chances of further harm to the man continued.

She snapped her fingers in success. "Ruby won't mind!" She dropped Anu onto the floor (in a literal sense of the term), took out her Scroll and sent a message to Ruby, 'Anu passed out gunna put him on your bed. Don't get any ideas, prince charming, he needs his sleep ;) jk x)'. Swiping the Scroll across her dorm's lock.

[][[[]

Ruby stared at the message, eye twitching and sweat pouring down her face, 'Does she know?!'

[[[][[

Two weeks ago:

"Heya girly! Come in! Come in!" The nurse smiled as the young woman she has also been attending peeked through the partially opened door.

Ruby looked uneasy and worried as she opened the door fully and walked in, plain baggy white shirt, scrub pants and (something she had to fight tooth and nail to get back) her caped hood, arm in thin cast as her Aura was quickly repairing the considerable damage.

"Ruby, right?" The nurse asked, where the Rose nodded, not looking at her as her eyes were glued at the comatose man in the bed. "Can I do anything for ya? Are ya alright?" She inquired tenderly as she swept the room with q mop.

Ruby licked chapped lips nervously, "I... I just had to see him."

"You supposed to be out of bee yet?" The Nurse asked, giving q sideways glance through her glasses.

Ruby didn't verbally respond, shifting her head down and away from both of them.

"You can talk to him if you want, but hun, the doctors need ya in bed to get better. Do ya wanna be alone? Sometimes people want company when they... ya know..."

"Y-Yes! I would like to be alone, thank you." Ruby nodded towards her.

The nurse silently and without further word, left the room. Ruby walked up to the bed, shoes making the freshly cleaned floor squeak as she slowly sat up on a chair set up near the head of the mattress.

She rubbed her upper left arm uncomfortably, the flutter in her stomach like some many times before and the squeeze around her heart in fear made for a peculiar and twice as difficult situation for her. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? 'He might be in this coma for years' she thought, thinking back to the occasional movie as her only reference to this condition.

"I uh... um..." she started before quickly floundering back to where she began. She sighed, scooching her chair up closer to Anu, noting that his face looked moist if not right out wet. 'Must have been washed recently.' She concluded, but then her thoughts wandered further into the gutter as she contemplated if the nurse or someone before her didn't JUST wash his face.

Her pale features glow red slightly at the thought, eyes focused on his neck and seeing if it was as dappled with moisture as his features, but quickly shook her head, clearing it of the thoughts, gripping her hand as she tried to do what she came here for.

Ruby decided not to think about it, he probably won't hear her anyways so just say it! "I ate your part of the cookies!" She then sighed, "Dad sent me a 'Get well soon' package filled with cookies-" she then whispered, "...he's still not as good as mom's, and Yang had a few, gave Weiss and Blake one and well I was thinking of saving you some and well ... the food here is very bad and... uhm... sorry." She chuckled, rubbing her head.

Anu didn't seem amused. Nor did he seem agitated. She decided to take this as a moment of indifference where he would have said, 'Ah! They were made for you anyways! I'm glad you liked them.'

'Why did I imagine him saying that without a shirt?' Ruby cursed her hormones. She was a Huntress, not a school girl. She wasn't stupid with this, she has had a couple of crushes in the past but... they weren't exactly like this, in fact, she wasn't sure what this could be called. 'A super crush? Mega crush? A megrush?' She thought in vain to try and distract herself. "Listen, Anu I... I know you and Yang are... doing stuff..." Saying that out loud almost felt like a hit in the gut, "... and I really don't know why I still feel so... eck... like an idiot around you when I should be really trying to let you and sis have your time and-it's-weird-that-I-started-liking-you-more-and-thinking-about-you-when-I-don't-mean-or-want-to-and-and-and..." she tottered off, poking her fingers together, glowing crimson as she finally said, acknowledging it to the universe, the Messiah and everyone. 'Mom must be turning in her grave right now.' Looking to Anu and giving a small smile. She acknowledged it, now it's only a matter of time before she gets over him and lets him and Yang do... whatever... as long as she doesn't hear about it. Or see it. The thought of them kissing alone makes Ruby want to pull her hair out, anything further... "No, no, ew, no!" She verbally thought, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her ears. She forced the thoughts of them... together-together into something more acceptable.

She squinted even harder and grabbed her ears firmer when her thoughts molded back into that dream she had of him. 'Nonononono!' She thought, screaming in her head. She peeled her eyes open again, "Why do you make me this crazy?" She nearly yelled, pointing to Anu, "It never happened before, why you?"

She was, unsurprisingly, met with silence from the prone form.

Ruby rubbed her face in her uncasted hand and sighed, "What am I supposed to do now?" She looked back Anu and stood up, turning around to go back to her room and sleep some more.

Mid way she stopped, looking between the door and Anu, a devious, nearly mind rending idea entered her mind. Ruby slowly stepped towards the door and pressed the lock button in the knob and quickly sped back to Anu's side, where doubts quickly entered her head when she was so close to him.

'Oh god, what if he does remember stuff in a coma? Would he hate me for this?' She then looked away, 'What would Dad think? This is kinda creepy. And, oh God, what about Yang? Kissing her boyfriend. I know they're not official yet, but she…' She rubbed her head, looking back at Anu, specifically his lips. 'I... probably won't be able to do this to him ever. Maybe this will help me let them do whatever. Just me knowing I did it be enough?'

She hadn't been into boys much at Patch, in her past seventeen years of life, nothing with them past hugs. This would be her first kiss. How pathetic is that?

But as she stared down at Anu, she didn't care how abysmal it would be. She just, wanted to know what it was like, to have the memory for the future, to keep tightly and never show anyone.

She licked her lips again, sorry they were so dry, held a hand near the corner of the bed and slowly leant down. She brought herself back up when his soft breathing moved across her face, thinking that he awoke at that moment.

She released a gulp of air she forgot she was holding and ordered herself, 'Just do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!'

Grabbing the corner again, she brought her lips down to his in what would have been seen as a 'long peck'. Her lips were planted atop his, but she was afraid of going deeper or anything more, but wanted to have her lips on his as long as possible.

Which was an estimated eight or so seconds before she stood back up, ran to the center of the room and stared at Anu's bed, almost emulating what she thought someone would do if they saw the act. 'Oh God, what did I just do?'

She gave a short screech as someone turned the doorknob and the door thud close from the lock.

"Ruby hun, it's time for bed, ya hear? Unlock this door."

Ruby unlocked the door, moved pass the nurse, got to her room, jumped to bed and drew the covers over her, staring wide eyed at the wall for several minutes.

[][[[

"Ruby! Focus! One more spar and I go ta-" Blake's voice was quickly stopped when she looked past her easily distracted partner to the far wall. A notable figure, notable specifically for its unnotablility.

"Sorry Blake, what's up?"

The person, maybe a head taller than her, noticed her attentions and gestured to follow with a back drawing of a hand, before he or she as quick as it was silent, sprinted out of the sparing room, not even drawing the eyes of anyone else. Before Ruby could follow Blake's own gaze of both shock and fear of this interloper, the hidden Faunus quickly forced a passive look, and spoke, "Let's... never mind, I think it's about time we stopped. I'm tired, need my nap early."

She expected Ruby to put up some kind of fight and was surprised when she didn't say a word, only smiled and fled the room with her Semblance's telltale path following her.

Blake wasn't sure if Ruby had spotted or known of the person she had just saw and was following it too. As she quickly walked out of the room, she silently prayed that this person wasn't attached to the White Fang at all. If they were, she had little doubt he would find out where she is now.

With that, she strode down the hall, all of her senses focused on finding a trace of the interloper. Just the slightest scent of familiar perfume... plum with a hint of something lighter... sweeter. Honey. Blake recalled a dozen faces. Her cell once operated out of a specialist perfume shop in Aemin in Mystral, it was famous for that same recipe. She felt a slight relief from the recollection, knowing that he wasn't among them. That didn't fully quell her instincts, however, and she followed the scent with vigor, to the hall, to the packed main area and then finally outside, where she quickened her pace, fearful the open air would force the trail to dissipate sooner.

It led to the cliff, spotting small sections of graspable ledge faces. Blake sighed, calculating the steps down, like a stair. Except, well, on a cliff, far apart and if a mistake was made, falling to one's death. Not that she would make one, even if she did, she could use Gambol Shroud to rope herself back up.

Blake leapt down on the first 'goat path'. Clawing against the cliff wall as she felt it buckle, having just recently carried a heavier weight making it jarred from its stay. She eyed the path ahead, seeing a small ledge, a large oval boulder that may be able to hold one or more people on it.

Blake huffed, jumping to the next goat stone then quickly jumping to the next and launching forward to the boulder, drawing out Gambol. She saw the cloaked figure, back to her and announced, "If you're from the White Fang, speak your business now and leave or I will-"

The intruder threw off its cover to the abyss below, and skidding to her feet, Blake's eyes widened as she saw a black single sided blade, the hilt connected to the sheath with a mechanical launcher. Wilt and Brush. She looked back up at the intruder, unblocked from view, red of hair, pale of skin, horns piquing atop white mask that hid his eyes.

Adam smiled but it seemed somewhat... rueful as he said, "Hey, Bitey."

[[][[[][[]

_Jaune_.

The blonde snapped, sitting up on his bed, eyes rapidly scanning the room for the voice.

'Sounded like a girl. Another prank from Nora?' Jaune uneasily slid off the bed, replaced his onesie with his typical attire and slowly crept through the dorm, scanning every corner and crevice, anything at all out of place.

_Jaune!_ The woman's seemingly omnipotent vocalization came to him from everywhere in a panic, his legs acting before his brain registered, running out of the door. The voice carried a numbness of command, his eyes feeling distant, and awareness thin, as they gazed forward, a dull beating of his heart intensifying until he found himself staring at a metal door, in some dim part of Beacon that he's never seen before.

'Stairs were involved somewhere… I think.' Jaune tried to recall, "Wait!" He said to himself, "Why the hell am I here anyways?! What happened to me?!"

_JAUNE!_ The voice was so close and so strong that he felt his name radiate across his front like a strong wind being rushed past him. He immediately fell back into the trance he was just freed from.

He barged threw the large door with more strength then he realized he could muster, ran across the unlit room, found a locker and pressed several buttons on a keypad at its center, a combination he sure as shit didn't know.

When the locker opened, a light shone from inside the container.

It was Anu's sword. The blade red, surface like a surface of water being barely disturbed to ripple from his breaths.

'No wonder he hasn't been using it since he got back to Beacon.' But why? The single usage has become a tale, barley hushed between the first-years who managed to glimpse Priest as that weird looking, skinny Grimm attacked.

Now, if Jaune had a blade like this.

_A blade like this…_

The voice repeated the-

_The voice repeat-_

"Stop that!" He yelled at the sword, somehow silencing the woman from continuing her mimicry.

The girl, the ghost or whatever was drawing him here, it was this sword, no doubt about it. Jaune didn't need to investigate further, he looked at it and felt it in his bones, to his… s_oul_, and somehow, this weapon was reaching out to him, specifically.

Jaune's gaze turned into a leer, reaching a hand forth, overwhelmed with the sudden urge to touch the handle, to take it up.

Almost realizing the compulsion's strength within him, he shook his head, trying to clear his mind, find room to think in just what in the absolute hell was happening.

Jaune knew he had to speak to Anu about this, only he would have answers on what this… thing was doing to him, he _has _to.

Taking a step away, he felt the blade's presence as acutely and overwhelmingly now that it but lay in front of him, no longer limited in its will by distance, wall or obstacle. The typhoon like breeze he felt in the hall was replaced by intense warmth, prickling across his skin that made all the hairs on his body break out in goosebumps, and the compulsion to hold Anu's sword in his hands was beyond reason, beyond instinct, and without any cognitive effort to affirm or deny this new, overwhelming demand, he held it firmly in his right hand.

The radiant heat began to dissipate, leaving a cold, near uncomfortable return to control. Upon its surface, he could have sworn that he saw another pair of eyes other than his own, just out of view of the reflection as he inspected it, turning towards the open door and seeing nothing. The eyes, he can remember vividly. Green. Defiant. Jade-like. The power they had possessed leaving a mirage or afterimage, long after the one who had them departed.

As he looked back to the sword, Jaune shrieked and threw the sword to the ground, his hands covered in blood, drenched in it.

He could feel the sticky, warmth seep through his gloves and down his wrists, babbling incoherently as he attempted to rub some of it off on his pants.

Then his Scroll went off, and God help him, that was the last thing he needed. The ringtone practically screamed at him, making him yell out in terror in kind, wiping roughly on a palm before reaching in his pocket for it. He noted that all the blood had miraculously vanished, making Jaune severely doubt his own sanity, but took the Scroll, and asked, "H-Hello?"

"Jaune-Jaune! Where are you? We're having dinner at Busky's!"

Had four hours really just passed?

"Ugh, I'll get there as soon as possible. Ya can eat without me." Hanging up on Nora (and immediately regretting what it may mean later), Jaune's eyes uneasily looked down at the sword, seeing the blade completely gone, replaced by a barely noticeable copper like knife head that barely extending out of the handle, the grip itself being several sizes larger.

Jaune's urge to retake the blade, now immensely more portable, had come back all on his own impulses. Taking the unbladed weapon and placing it snuggly in between his chest and his armor, keeping it in place.

The next question being: 'Where the hell am I and how do I leave?'

[][][][[[

Ruby stood over Anu like she did not a month ago. She pressed her index fingers together, eyes staring at everything near the man who now laid on her bed. Glasses on the floor at the head of the bed, hopefully something he could find easily when he woke up and not step on them Ruby had a thought of just shake him awake, confessing her affections and... well, she didn't want to think what would happen after. From what she has experienced of Anu, she would confuse him and he gets confused _very_ easily. She did not want him confused with her, never with her.

Uneasily biting at a lip, she sighed in resignation and turned to leave.

As she opened the door, she blinked. Once. Twice. As she turned around, what was meant to be her team's dorm. It was the hall leading to it, and what was meant to be ahead, her room.

She shook her head, maybe getting twisted around somehow, and as she turned to leave into the hall, stepped again back into her dorm. The door slamming shut behind her.

She quickly paced back inside the room, turning around and faced the door, pulling out Crescent and pointing it at the door.

She looked to Anu, "Hey! Wake up!"

Instead of getting up, his form somehow sunk into the bed, the mattress in term falling into a hole in the floor. The hole grew, quickly swallowing her along with Anu as she failed to outrun its growth. Ruby didn't scream as she fell, she was too terrified of doing even that as she sped through pitch darkness, eyes wide and breath frozen in her lungs.

Then there was an odd, shifting of movement, no longer fallings straight down, felt gravity climb away from her front then slowly to her head then her back. Assuming she was now spinning somehow, she squeaked the scream that was stuck in her throat as she skid on a solid, rough, brick laden surface, caught on some of her leggings, making them open on her left calf and right tights. This was only barely registered as the gravity spun her brain around in her head, staring up on her back to a starless night sky, the crude walls of plain stone glowing a barely illuminating red light.

Ruby unsteadily rose her head, the cranium spinning slightly as she did so and tried to get her bearings.

"Dreaming…" She put a palm to her forehead, shaking it, trying to get what was meant to be giving her a good sense of 'forward'. "I _have_ to be dreaming, this is impossible… absolute, complete-" She blinked, looking around, "Where's Anu?" She asked no-one. "Wait-wait! Dreaming." She sighed, slightly relieved that she didn't find him on the bed and was looming over him like that scarecrow Yang and she found in that field at patch when they were young.

[][]

Weiss was tapping away at her Scroll as she was heading back to her dorm, not even registering the path and having her eyes focused on the device in her hands as she paced ahead.

Momentarily sober to her surroundings as she swiped the machine across her dorm's doorknob, she opened it and started reading and tapping away again. She walked in, registering a presence on Ruby's bed in her peripheral. "Ruby, we really need to start studying the team on that math exam coming up. Not only that, you still haven't made your Remnatian paper's first dra- ehhh?" She quietly questioned as she looked at Ruby.

Or, more accurately, Ruby _plus_ Anu. She was sleeping on top of him, snoring lightly, and drool peeking out of the edge of her mouth and dangling close to Anu's chest.

Weiss stared at the image and the only thing that was going on in her head was a mechanical monkey banging a pair of cymbals together. After several seconds, her brain rebooted and her brow furrowed and she stewed solely on a name; '_Yaaaannnng_.' She seethed, pacing towards them reaching a hand out to shake them awake. 'The bitch put him here.'

She stopped at the eleventh hour, fingers mere atoms distance to her fearless leader's back when she noticed Ruby was smiling contently. Weiss's eye twitched once as she realized how soft she was getting with her team. She sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hand and commented, "_One_ hour, Rose. Then, I bring out the glass of water." She chastised to the unconscious Ruby, "And kicking him out the moment you do."

[][][]

Ruby's eyes focused on the path on her, reaching back for her weapon, feeling nothing as she realized she must've dropped it in the fall. She clenched her hands into fists and wished she paid more attention to those kung-fu movies.

The regret soon paved to fear as she stared up and down the _long_ corridor, seemingly endless as what would be the end of both sides being shrouded in inky blackness, a horizon so far that light couldn't reach her here.

Ruby tried to force herself awake, but didn't budge, not knowing where to begin. This was a nightmare, surely there'd be a monster or something behind a corner to scare her awake? She just needed to pick a route.

She quickly started walking to her right, not trying to think too hard on which direction would scare her most. She walked. And walked. And w_alked._ What felt like hours, to where she sighed, "Frikin' heck…" She muttered, looking back at the path she took, seeing no apparent distance made from when she first fell. "Ahh man, when will I wa-?" She was cut off when she looked forward again, seeing an opening in the once pristine corridor wall. It was as if something had shattered a gaping opening into the wall as she turned around for but an instant. Ruby unsteadily walked towards the wound in the wall, peaking around its ragged corners, gasping in shock at what she saw.

Anu groaned in bliss as he continued thrusting, the quarry beneath him squealing in shuddering pleasure.

The lighting was absolutely poor, constrained by the flickering tongues of a fire near the pair, but she could instantly recognize Anu's eyes, glowing in the dark red not as… normal as they are now, along with his dark hair, but she could barely focus on the woman.

Her hair was dark, that was for certain, but not as dark as his and her pale skin would have shown against his far tanner complexion, probably even without the light. Then, as she focused on the stature of the woman, between incredibly distracting grunts, coos and loud moans that rattled her very bones, Ruby noticed the woman beneath was far smaller in height then Anu.

Her pupils shrunk in mortification as she pieced the identity of the other member of the raucous pair, "S-She's me?" She spoke in less than a whisper, but somehow carried all the way down to the debauching doppelganger, continuing to vocalize her enjoyment, looking up and smiling at the completely ashamed dreamer, before she focused back on Anu with a big, sloppy kiss.

Ruby couldn't turn around fast enough, tripping and falling over in her haste, and as she tried to pick herself up, the world shifted again! The opposing wall became the ceiling, and the window of depravity she was just peeping around became the hole in which she descended once more, finding the ability to shriek, not wanting to see what she desired to escape from. As she fell, she saw no moaning pair, merely the unsteady climb as the wall to her back curved and shot her across a blood slicked floor, rolling across it as she failed to recuperate, red flinging everywhere, staining skin, clothing, some even managing to wind up in her mouth, making her gag profusely. She coughed and coughed, unable to rid the taste from her tongue, the wretched matter from her throat, trying until she was nearly as red in the face as the liquid around her and her chest ached from lack of air.

Fearing further blood, she didn't try and wipe her mouth with a sleeve or an end of her skirt. She spat onto the floor, not wanting to breathe out of her nose due to the anxiety she would taste it again. Through this, she was able to look forward, teary eyed from coughing so much and saw through bleary eyes the carnage that spawned the shallow pool she sputtered in.

Bodies. Atlas soldiers. The mechs their military was so famous for sporadically sewn with the once living men and women, and in the center of it all, a figure of grey silver, brandishing a red blade. Exactly what Anu once used in the forest.

Almost as if he were deaf due to her less than subtle entry, but could somehow _sense_ her gaze on him, he turned and started striding towards her, face masked of a silver jackal, blood splashing as he stomped through the butcher's field.

As the panic began to set in; one of the corpses nearby reached forward and grabbed her wrist and yelled, "Demon! DEMON!" Pulling Ruby down as he screamed the word over and over.

Ruby viciously attacked the fingers as the 'Demon' approached her, and became even more furiously, the silver shape of the Demon quickly changing into that of a white beast, armor changing into metallic, gnashing teeth, robes into silver fur and red weapon into orange and crimson eyes as it began running towards her on all fours. 'Wake up, wake up, wake up!' There was an albino Grimm running to eat her! Memories flashed of her mother, the pictures her father tried to hide of the battle, she began to cry and scream, fearing her fate would be so much like hers.

Just as the beast was upon her, hands from behind wrapped themselves across her eyes and mouth, silencing all.

'Am I dead?'

"Do not look into the darkness; it will devour your dreams." Anu sighed, relieved. "I'm glad I made it here in time." Slowly removing his hands, the river of blood and corpses with the albino, mutant Beowulf gone, she looked into complete blackness, only barely able to see mere paces ahead. She turned and saw Anu, the real, more normal looking one, and smiled. "By the gods… I am so sorry. I didn't know anyone was out all the way out here." He ran his sleeves over her cheeks and wiped away wet tears and drying blood from her face. "How did you even get here?"

"I-I-I…" She was trying to piece it all together, "What w-was that? The Demon thing? That freaky white Grimm? T-T-T-The…" She didn't dare mention the apparition she saw before this one. "Jackal mentioned a Demon of Atlas… he had your sword! He…" She began to piece things together, "That wasn't a memory… was it?"

"As much emotion and oddity as a memory, perhaps. No idea about the Grimm. Never seen an albino before, I think they're myths, not sure what that means to be honest." He crossed his arms, "Should have assumed Jackal would try and tell you something." He looked to his right, eyes flashing between her and some invisible object in the pitch black. "I was the Demon of Atlas. I killed many people." He gestured with a hand, "It appears in the Outer-Lays due to my regrets, something I can no longer control within my Ego now and it manifests out here when I am asleep."

Ruby stared at Anu, trying to wrap her mind around the simple idea that he, _he_ of all her friends at Beacon, killed not only a singular person, but multiples. "You're another weird hallucination thing, aren't you?" She bit her lip in frustration, "Anu wouldn't hurt a fly! Unless that fly was a Grimm." She muttered that last part, "He got iffy when _I _killed a Grimm for god's sake!"

"I do not know where you obtained this… opinion of me, but I thank you for it." Anu nodded and smiled sadly, "I hope it does not break entirely when I tell you that I am neither a hallucination, nor an innocent in this place. The Outer-Lays may exaggerate certain truths, but it can never lie." The smile was dashed away as a sound, a cry of some bizarre animal in the distance, "We must leave for the Inner. It is not safe for you out here." He explained as he reached out for her hand and began guiding her in a seemingly random direction of what to her was a blank waste land.

A light, like a door being flung open, appeared in front of the two and they quickly paced through it.

As soon as Ruby's eyes adjusted to the visibility, she gaped at the vision before her: vast, glacier like mountains of clearest snow floated amidst the vast, blue plains bellow them, the very ends of the mountain's bottoms either staying aloft by the merest touch or flirting with the ground and hovering like an unbound stalactite just above the surface. Snow flew in massive, wind bound clumps, yet neither the precipitation nor the currents of air that carried it was freezing or even cold. Among the prolonged observation of this alien yet wondrous landscape, long, deep cries like that of a whale or some other massive, sea bound creature resounded through the floating canyons of the hovering mountains. An enormous, red-translucent fish like creature, an odd hybrid of a jellyfish and a whale, began swimming out of the confines of the neighboring mountains and floated past the pair towards another set of float-mountains some distance away.

"Do you like it? It's a new project of mine." Anu asked, smiling from ear to ear.

Ruby somehow managed to drag her gaze from the place and look at Anu with wonder, "You _made _this? How?"

"We are like gods when we dream. When one is ugh…" He began to explain before he stopped and scratched his head, "What was the word?" He began patting his robes for the small dictionary, "La la la… something that begins with a la…" He grunted in frustration at failing to find it, but then began staring at Ruby, pointing at your feet, "Take off your left shoe." He commanded.

"What? Why?!"

"There is likely a small, venomous creature that desires to nest in the grounded, left flanking hoofs of creatures."

Ruby shrieked, hopping up and down, desperately trying to remove her shoe, finally doing so and throwing it to the ground.

Anu started sputtering in laughter, "I take it you took the lie well?" Laughing further.

"Why would you lie about something like that?!" Ruby demanded.

"I have only lied once since becoming as I am, I was merely curious. Besides…" He took up the shoe, reached into it, somehow having enough space to reach up near his elbow, then took out a small book, and "I needed to get this!"

Ruby looked between the book and the shoe, "… what?"

[]]][[][]

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART B

[][][][][][][][]


End file.
